Assassin
by darkotter
Summary: Allen Walker is the best assassin in the city of Mancal Willings. His employer is the most powerful man in the city. And when he knocks into someone on his way from a murder, his luck only goes from bad to worse. AU Epilogue -- Completed
1. Beginning

**Title: Assassin**

**Rating: T**

**Summary: Allen Walker is the best assassin in the city of Mancal Willings. His employer is the most powerful man--taking no notice of laws--in the city. And when he knocks into someone on his way from a murder,his luck only goes from bad to worse. **

**Ok...I haven't posted a story in at least 2 months. I know I haven't updated my crossover, but my brain is blank and I have lost interest, sadly enough. I hope to make this one interesting. **

**This is an AU...but it still has all our characters. I don't own D.Gray-Man. **

* * *

A slender figure paused in the darkening street. A light drizzle was falling, making everything look misted and foggy. Then the figure moved on, glancing around carefully, eyes pausing on the street lamp then turned. 

The drizzle had started to grow, and the figure shook the cloak that they wore, water raining down from the heavy canvas.

Another person, a tall man, came into view on the street. The slender person paused, pressing themselves against the wall, into the shadows. The tall man walked passed them without noticing anything and hurried out of sight.

"Why does it have to rain?" whispered the figure, shaking hair out of their face. "Always harder in the rain."

"What's always harder in the rain?" a deep, husky voice said from behind the figure and they turned sharply, eyes widening. "What're you doing out here, little girl?"

The figure narrowed their silver eyes and backed up slightly. "I…don't want to fight you," they said.

"You? Fight me? Hardly…" said the large man, different from the one before.

"Get away, if you don't want to end up in the gutter," said the small figure darkly. Usually, they didn't act like this.

"Where're you going, girl?" the man said as the figure tried to walk away. He grabbed the slender arm.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," whispered the figure.

"Why not?" said the man, smirking. The smaller of the two, the one being held tightly by the arm, glared hard and cold.

"That all you got?" whispered the man. "I think I can han—" he was cut off as the figure twisted around in his grip. They had forced him to the ground in less then 30 seconds.

"One…no, that wasn't all I had," they whispered, twisting the mans arm painfully around so that he went lower into the wet street. The man let out a muffled cry of pain and surprise. "And two…I'm not a girl."

The younger person pulled back the hood, showing a soft face, blue-silver eyes and white hair. But the face was contorted in anger.

"Ah-ah…please!" the man whimpered.

"I wouldn't waste my time," hissed the young man. "I have a job." He let the man go and pushed him away, then started down the street again, pulling the hood up over his white hair.

After about two blocks, the boy leaned against the wall of a building. The rain came down heavier than before, but still was mostly drizzle. He sighed.

"That was bad…" he whispered to himself. "Can't lose control like that."

He pushed himself away from the wall and continued down the street. He had traveled a total of twenty blocks when he stopped, slipping into an alleyway. There, he tread carefully, reaching a door. He knocked.

" 'O is it?" asked a gruff voice as the small panel was pulled back. The boy just looked up. "Ah, yes sir…he's been 'specting you."

The panel closed once more and the sound of bolts could be heard, and the heavy door was pulled open. The doorkeeper stepped aside, letting the slim boy slide quickly out of the rain and into the building.

"This way," said a man who had been standing beside the doorkeeper. The boy nodded and followed the other through the room. Eyes followed him from tables of gamblers as he walked through.

"In there," said the man, pointing into a room. He opened the door. "Oi, boss, 'tis the Walker boy."

"Let him in."

"Right…in you go Walker, and make it short," growled the man, and opened the door enough for the boy to slip in.

"Mr. Walker? It's a pleasure to see you," said a silky voice. The silver haired boy walked forward, shedding his heavy cloak and looking across the room.

The man he was seeing, the boss, was sitting in a chair; a playing card between two of his slender, glove covered hands. He turned it slowly then pulled the cigarette from his mouth.

"Come on boy…" he said. The boy walked closer then bowed slightly.

"You called me?" asked the boy, cringing slightly. He couldn't believe he had listened to the call of this man. But if he hadn't, he would have been killed.

"Yes. I need your service, if you will. There is a person I wish to be killed," the man said, grinning darkly, shifting the cigarette in his mouth.

"And why, may I ask, do you need _me_, Tyki?" the boy asked, staring at the man.

"Don't address him like that, you little—" but Tyki silenced the man who had objected with a flick of his hand.

"Because, Allen Walker," he said, standing up and dropping the card on the table, "you are the best."

"I don't wish to be," Allen said, glaring hard at the man as he walked over to him.

"That doesn't change the fact that you are. And you _will_ do what I want," Tyki's tone had hardened slightly and Allen's eyes flicked down.

He was silent as the older man walked right up to him and eyed him carefully. "So, do we have a deal?"

Allen closed his eyes, then nodded. "Yes. Who is it?" he asked.

The man on the side shuffled forward as Tyki straightened up, smiling. He handed a small folder to the boy, who stared at it.

"I…can't," he murmured, looking at the picture attached to the front. It was of a young woman.

"Ah but you can. And you will," said Tyki, watching him carefully.

"What importance does this woman have to you? And why do you need _me_ for her?" asked the boy. He hated what he did. But he couldn't help it. If he didn't…he would lose control. Like he had in the street.

Tyki turned, dropping his cigarette in an ashtray then pulling another out of a pack in his pocket. He lit it. "Oh, you needn't worry about that, my young friend. Just do the job. Oh yes…I need you because she is a very important person."

Allen looked at the picture again, then opened the folder. He saw the name and dropped it like it was fire. "No."

Tyki turned to face him once more. "Yes. Or else you know what will happen. Come on Mr. Walker…this will be easy."

"No. I won't kill her. Find another assassin for the job. But I won't kill _her_," said Allen, backing up. Tyki frowned and took a step towards the boy.

"Come now. I need you so that she _can_ be killed. You know how many bodyguards she has. So that's why I need you," said the tall slender man, placing a finger under Allen's chin.

"But I…_can't_!" said Allen, pushing back and hitting the door. "Not _her_!"

Tyki glared. "You can and you will," he said sharply.

Allen shrank slightly, then nodded. "Yeah ok," he muttered. The man in front of him smiled.

"Now, you had better get going. She shall be at the Mancal Willings Ball tomorrow. That should give you an easier time, at least," said the man, walking back to his chair and sitting down. He picked up the card again, watching Allen carefully.

Allen nodded and pulled on his cloak again, his head bowed. The man on the side let him out. The boy's eyes were barely visible under his hood and silver hair, but when one actually met them, they were fiery.

No one in the room met his eyes, but watched him silently. The moment that he had stepped out of the bosses' private lounge, the whole smoke-filled room had fallen silent, cards held in hands.

The silver haired boy walked straight through the tables to the door. The doorkeeper opened the door without a word, looking with slight fright at the young boy.

Outside, the rain was even harder than before. Allen Walker glanced up at the rain, then flipped his hood over his already soaking hair and headed to his apartment.

Reaching the building, he entered, climbing the stairs. When he reached his, he unlocked it and entered, locking it behind him.

If ever a police officer had found their way into the young mans apartment, he would have been arrested before he could say one word for his own defense. It wasn't like he had weapons just lying around, but there were definitely signs.

He looked at the clock. It was 10 o'clock. Tomorrow, he had to be at the Mancal Willings Ball. Tomorrow, he had to do the job that Mr. Tyki Mikk had asked and ordered him to do. Tomorrow, he had to kill one of the most important woman in the city.

Allen wished for tomorrow not to come, so that he didn't have to kill her. He didn't want too, but if he didn't, he'd lose control. He had to keep reminding himself that. That was the only reason he did what he did.

He hated what he did.

Allen crumpled to the floor then grabbed a knife that lay on the table and threw it as hard as he could at the wall. It rotated once in the air then hit the wall with a dull thud. It sank into the wood about six inches.

He stared at it. He was a monster. A normal human couldn't do something like that. The wood was very hard, the throw awkward.

Then the white haired boy got up, walking over to the knife and pulled it out easily. He dropped it on the table with a clatter then stumbled into his bedroom.

There, he had to find something he could wear. Allen did have something, and he found it very easily. It would be quite easy to get into the Mancal Willings Ball. The task at hand was a rather simple one.

"Simple or not…I don't want to do this," he mumbled to himself. Allen fell onto his bed and fell asleep.

* * *

**Thanks for reading. Please Review! I wish to continue with this story. Again, I'm sorry for all of those people who might be disapointed about my crossover. I'll try to update this soon. **


	2. Attack

**Here is chapter two of Assassin! Thanks for reading ch. 1. Very grateful. **

**Its a bit longer than the last one. I like making chapters this length...or around this. I hope that you like it! Please read and review! Oh yes, this is an AU, I forgot to say in ch. 1. Its a different universe than that of D.Gray-Man _or_ our own. So, I kinda made up one. Hope you like it[D.Gray-Man was created by Hoshino Katsura. **

* * *

Allen rolled over in his sleep. He flinched, then turned again. He was dreaming. No, he was having a nightmare.

He sat bolt upright with a loud shout. "No!" he yelled, then blinked. He released his hold on the blanket, holding a hand over his heart. It was beating so fast that he could hardly breath.

"Just…just a dream," the boy murmured, his heartbeat slowing down somewhat. He glanced at the clock beside his bed.

"7:34 a.m." he murmured, running a hand through his hair. He pulled himself up off the bed and stumbled into the bathroom. He showered quickly, then got dressed in the cloths that he had picked out.

Allen had to look good or else he wouldn't even be allowed into the ball. He looked at himself in the mirror. The tux was fine. He kept his red ribbon. The white-haired boy always had that ribbon.

He sighed. He really didn't want to do this.

Heading out of his room, his fingers tingled slightly. What should he bring? He had no idea. He decided on his favorite dagger. His other side would be with him as well. That would be enough.

Allen slipped the dagger into its holder, under his jacket, where he could get it quite easily, then looked at the clock once more. The ball started at 1 o'clock. It was now 8:56. He had roughly three hours. What was he going to do?

"Oh, I had better go make my arrangements," he said. He couldn't get in unless he made a reservation, so he had to do this.

He left his apartment and walked down to the Willings & Chester City building, the place where the ball would be taking place later that day.

The rain from yesterday had turned to snow, which in turn turned to slush as it landed on the street.

The white haired young man made it to the Willings & Chester City building, pausing in front to dust the snow off his jacket. When he had done so, he walked up the steps and entered the building.

"Miss Anne is going sir…yes she is. Yes sir." At the reception desk, a man talked on the telephone to someone unknown to Allen. Not that he cared.

"Excuse me?" asked Allen to the man at the desk.

"Yes sir…I'm sorry sir, but you'll just have to come in. Yes. Yes…I look forward to seeing you," the man said, then hung up and looked at the boy in front of him.

"Yes? How may I help you?" he asked.

"I would like to make a reservation for the ball later. Is it too late?" asked the white haired boy nervously. He fidgeted slightly, looking anxious.

The man watched him carefully. "I think I can slip you in. But are you aware of the fee that is involved?" he asked.

Allen nodded. "I thought as much."

"Its 200 vale. And you can put your name on the list, and then you're all right. I'm sorry for such a fee, but you _are_ late," the man said.

"So…the rest is going to you?" Allen asked. He knew that the original fee was 150 vale, but if it took 50 more, than he would pay it.

The man blanched. "Well…um…"

"It's fine," the boy said, bowing slightly. "As long as I can get in!"

He smiled with relief. "You seem very eager to get in…is there a certain someone you wish to see at this ball?"

"I wish to meet Miss Lee!" Allen said. He took the pen the man handed him and signed the paper. The man did as well, verifying that he could get in.

"Ah, the Miss. Well, I hope that you see her. It starts at 1 o'clock," said the man and Allen nodded. He smiled then walked from the reception desk.

"What an odd boy," said the man to himself, watching the white haired boy walk away. It wasn't just his hair that was odd, but his eyes, a silver blue and the scar running down the side of his face also constituted as 'not normal'.

Allen reached the door. He paused, holding it open for an older woman.

"Thank you," she said, smiling at him then walking past him. He slipped out the door and into the snow.

"I don't like snow," he murmured, slipping. He regained his footing on the ice-covered ground and continued.

The streets were quite busy, to Allen's surprise. Horse-drawn carriages drove through the roads, as well as the less abundant horse-less carriages, with their own engines. He watched one drive by, then continued walking, heading towards his apartment.

The sidewalks were bustling, but he slid through, only bumping a couple.

He was in the middle of the crowd when he could hear a number of indignant grumbles and shouts. A moment later, he saw someone pelting through the crowd, pushing people out of his way, flattening some.

"What the—" the white haired boy managed before the other collided with him painfully.

"Sorry mate! Gotta dash!" he said and was gone. Allen pushed himself up off the ground then stood.

"Are you alright?" asked an old woman who had been lucky enough to miss being hit by the other boy. Allen smiled and nodded.

"Yes, I'm quite alright, thank you! Just got knocked over," he said. The woman nodded then bustled away. The boy looked around. Others were getting up or grumbling angrily.

That boy had been rather reckless. He couldn't easily forget the bright red-orange hair. Allen wondered what he was running from, or what he had to do that made him run like crazy through the crowded street.

But now he was dirty. The boy headed straight to his apartment, keen on getting clean, dry clothing.

It was 10:11 now. Allen got new clothing then realized that he was rather hungry. He went into the kitchen and found something to eat. But that only killed half an hour.

So he settled on his bed and closed his eyes, thinking.

He must've fallen asleep because when he opened his eyes, he was lying down. He blinked, then glanced at the clock. 12:45.

Allen got up hurriedly and brushed his hair, getting everything ready. He went through the list of what he could bring. He was still bringing the dagger, he chose. That was all.

At 12:55, he was out the door, heading down to the Willings & Chester City Building. Snow fell silently in the streets as people walked to and fro. It wasn't as crowded as before. The market that day had ended, so many people were inside.

He did see some rather nicely dressed people heading in the same direction as him, and he nodded to them as he passed.

Reaching the building, he climbed the steps and entered.

It was warm and slightly smoky inside. He walked up to the reception desk, where others where already waiting to enter the ballroom. He joined the line. It moved slowly as people were checked off the list.

There was a holdup in the line when someone who hadn't made a reservation had tried to get in. They where escorted out of the building by two guards.

"Allen Walker," he said, reaching the desk. The man who had been there before was there now and winked at him.

"You may go in," he said, checking him off the list. He smiled at the man and entered the ballroom.

It was splendid, with a wide dance floor. Chairs were scattered around the sides, some filled some empty. A few tables were situated beside the wide windows. A small orchestra played softly off to one side.

He walked to the edge, watching people dance. There were people of all ages, ranging from 15 to 65, but all were upper class, with magnificent gowns and tuxes.

Allen looked around, eyeing the entire room. A wide staircase led upwards, to the second level.

He waited beside a pillar then turned as someone announced the arrival of Miss Lee.

"And now, I hope you have a splendid birthday Miss Lee. Happy 18th birthday," the announcer said as a beautiful Chinese girl in a blue and white gown stepped lightly down the stairs.

She was alone as she descended the stairs, a hand on the railing.

Everyone clapped as she entered and she nodded around the room, smiling. So this was the girl he had to kill. What threat was this girl to the powerful leader? Allen sighed sadly.

Slowly, the night moved on. The sun set early, around 5 o'clock, and lamps came on. Allen had watched Miss Lee carefully, wondering when he could talk to her. His eyes darted around, noting the bodyguards that were stationed around the room.

They were armed, and there were a lot, but he could handle them, if need be. Then he noticed that the older woman that Miss Lee had been talking to had walked away. She stood elegantly and alone by the dance floor.

"Miss Lee?" Allen asked as he walked up to her.

The girl turned, smiling towards him. "And who might you be?" she asked.

"I'm Allen Walker. It's a pleasure to meet you Miss Lee…" he said, taking her hand in his and kissing it. "I was just wondering…I noticed that you hadn't danced much. Would you honor me with one?"

She giggled lightly. "Well, one wouldn't hurt Mr. Walker," she said. Allen led her onto the dance floor, spinning her around gracefully and taking hold of her waist.

"Look at those two…quite a pair they make," said an older woman to her husband. He nodded. "It is sad that Miss Lee's parents couldn't see her grow up though."

"Yes, she's a fine young woman," agreed her husband, patting his wife's hand.

"My, my Mr. Walker," said Miss Lee as Allen pulled her back from a spin. He took her hand once more. "You're quite the dancer."

He smiled. "I've had practice," he said. They danced until the orchestra stopped, getting ready for a new song.

Allen let go of the girl and bowed deeply. "It was an honor!" he said, straightening up. She walked off the dance floor and he followed.

"Yes, me as well," she said, smiling. He glanced at his watch. She watched him carefully. "Oh, are you leaving? You can't be!"

"It_is_ getting late," he commented.

"Oh please, don't leave quite yet," she asked, taking his hand. "Stay a bit longer."

He nodded. "Of course, if you wish, I shall stay."

She smiled and let go of her hand. Allen was aware of the bodyguards watching them closely. _Good_, he thought, _they're doing their job._

"Miss Lee?"

Someone had walked up to them, but Allen hardly noticed. He had just noticed something that made his heart jump slightly. Not something…someone. A someone he didn't wish to see.

Carefully he slipped away from Miss Lee and the other who had arrived.

"So, you've met our Miss Lenalee Lee, have you?" asked Tyki as Allen came around the pillar. Allen blinked as he saw his employer.

"What're you doing here? Don't you trust me?" he asked.

As usual, the most powerful leader in the city held a cigarette in his mouth. A card was just visible in his breast pocket.

"Of course not, my dear boy," the other man said, pushing himself up from the pillar to stand in front of the boy. Allen backed up slightly.

"Then are you worried that I wouldn't carry out my job?" he asked, hitting the pillar as he backed up.

"No, no, no…I just wanted to check up on you…and give my regards to the young lady," said Tyki. He leaned forward, taking the cigarette from his mouth. He blew a cloud of smoke.

Allen coughed.

"So, will you introduce me?" Allen cringed, but there was no way he could say no to the Lord of the city. He led the other man out to where he had left Miss Lee with the other man.

She was alone, and when Allen cleared his throat, she looked around.

"Mr. Walker! I had started to wonder where you had gone," she said. "And who is this?"

Allen stepped back slightly. "This is my…my friend, Tyki Mikk," he said, letting the older man step in front.

"It's very nice to meet you," said the man, bowing to Miss Lee.

"And it's very nice to meet you, Mr. Mikk," she said, smiling. He straightened up once more, shifting the cigarette.

"But now, I must take my leave. I only stopped by to say hello. I hope to see you later," said Tyki, looking straight at Allen with cold eyes. Then he tipped his hat and walked away.

"He seems pleasant enough," said the girl, watching as the tall man walked away. Allen nodded absentmindedly.

He looked straight at her. "Miss Lee…is…is there a place where we might talk? Privately?" he asked. She looked at him, surprised.

"Yes, the lounge. Why?" she asked.

"I…just want to talk. And its to crowded in here," he said, looking around. "Where is this room?"

"Second door on the right, upstairs," she said, pointing up the large marble staircase. He nodded.

Allen's eyes traveled to the bodyguards once more. They didn't seem to be paying that close of attention, but he knew they were still watching him and the girl.

"May I meet you up there in a minute or so? There's something I must do before we talk. Take your time," he said and slipped away.

He watched her carefully. She traveled around the dance hall, pausing to talk with several people. Then she made her way up to the lounge alone. No one seemed to notice as she slipped up the stairs.

Allen followed, more slowly. He stopped at the food table, then looked around. No one was looking at him oddly, so he continued to the stairs. He slipped up them quickly.

He knew that the bodyguards would soon follow, if they were good bodyguards. But that was fine.

"Miss Lee?" he asked as he slipped into the second door on the right. The girl was standing beside the window, watching snow fall slowly.

"Now, Mr. Walker…what is it that you wish to speak to me about?" she asked. Her eyes traveled with him as he closed the door and walked over to her.

"You are very lovely," he said, a hand slipping behind him.

"Thank you, but I don't see why you couldn't have told me that down in the ballroom," she stared at him.

He paused, then slipped the knife from its holder, still holding it behind him.

"I'm sorry," he said.

She looked at him, startled. "What? Why are you sorry?"

"I don't wish to do this…"

"You're scaring me, Mr. Walker. What are you talking about?" she asked, her eyes wide.

For an answer, he pulled the dagger up, twirling it slightly. It glimmered in the dim lamp light. She gasped and backed up. She opened her mouth and let out a small scream.

The double doors burst open and the bodyguards ran in. Allen turned quickly and threw the dagger. It hit the first man in the chest, making him collapse. The others let out yells of surprise as he fell at their feet.

"Wh-what do you want?" Miss Lee asked shakily. Allen twisted and kicked her in the stomach, making her fall backwards.

"Don't touch her!" yelled one of the bodyguards.

"And your going to stop me?" he whispered. With inhuman speed, he dashed at the men. Allen jumped off one of the chairs and kicked another of the men in the chest, sending him backwards.

He crashed into a bookcase as the bodyguards fired their guns. Allen twisted around, kicking another of the men and grabbing his dagger from the man on the ground.

"Your…not getting away," said a man, shooting his weapon. The boy gasped as a bullet grazed his cheek. It made a long scratch, which started to bleed.

Downstairs, the crowd had paused. At the sound of the shots and the crash, people had started to scream. A couple men started up the stairs to see what was going on while others stood still, not knowing what to do.

"Oh yes I am," whispered Allen and rammed the last standing bodyguard with a shoulder. He shoved him into the wall; the dagger sunk into his chest. The man thrashed for a moment, then fell limp. Allen pulled the blade from the man, letting him slide to the ground.

"Now…" he said, turning towards the girl clutching the bookshelf.

He took a step forward towards her. A shot rang out and Allen turned to stare in surprise at the man against the bookshelf. He clutched his gun in a shaking hand.

Allen felt pain in his side, but didn't care. He slid sideways, grabbed the gun of a fallen bodyguard and shot three times. The man wasn't even able to move. The bullets hit him then he lay still.

"I don't want to do this," he said, turning around to face the girl. She was crying and clutching the bookcase.

"Th-then d-don't!" she sobbed.

"Have too…its my job," he said, and raised the gun. His finger played on the trigger for a moment then fired. She screamed, but was cut off as the bullet hit her and she slid to the floor.

The men from downstairs rammed the door as Miss Lee let out a scream. They burst into the room just in time to see the white haired young man fire the gun. One grabbed a gun lying on the ground, but had no chance to shoot it.

Allen whirled around, shooting the gun. It hit three of the men, killing them. The forth stood very still, watching with wide scared eyes.

"P-please…" he begged. The young mans eyes flashed but he dropped the gun. It clattered to the floor. The man took a shaking breath then his eyes darted to one of the fallen guns.

Carefully, when the boy had turned, he slid forward, trying to reach it.

With a yell, he dove, grabbed it and raised it, ready to fire. Allen turned before he could shoot and threw the dagger. It hit the man in the neck, and he fell to the ground.

Allen walked over to him and pulled it from him. He stared at it as inside him, the monster that had been rearing let out a roar. Of course, that was inside. Not out. He stood very still, watching the blood trickle down the blade and onto his hand.

* * *

**Another chapter gone! Anyways. I hope you liked it. And I had some reviews asking about pairings. One person wanted a pairing, the other didn't. Well, we shall see, shan't we? I'm sorry for whoever I let down, but I can't go with everyone and this is my story. I shall think about it though. So, reviews? **


	3. Injury

**Here is the next chapter of this AU. Sorry for taking a little longer than I expected, but I had to go to a wedding and then school and such. But here it is! Chapter 3. I really wanted to give more information, but I'll do that in a later chapter, in more depth... I hope you enjoy this ch. Read and review pleaseI don't own D.Gray-Man**

* * *

Allen snapped out of his reverie as shouts sounded down the hallway

Allen snapped out of his reverie as shouts sounded down the hallway. He looked around quickly, hair flipping slightly. Grey eyes narrowed as he heard footsteps.

The way the young assassin saw it, he had two choices. Run through the door where police were soon to be coming, getting spotted and having to kill many more people in the process…or the window.

He glanced at the window then back at the door. The voices were coming closer. In a split second, he had made up his mind.

The silver haired boy turned quickly and ran straight at the window just as the shouts of "There's the lounge!" were heard. He glanced back for a second, seeing shadows by the door.

The window was coming up fast. He ducked his head and rammed it with his left shoulder. It exploded into shards as he fell forward.

The last thing he heard was "Hurry!" before his foot left its hold on the windowsill and he was falling. Cold air whipped his face and hair before he hit the ground with a crash, on his left side.

Snow exploded from the ground where he landed, and as he rolled onto his back, it mingled with the new snow falling. He lay there for a few moments, dazed, before shaking his head and pushing himself up.

He had to get away. Allen knew that well. Always get away, or you'd get caught. That was one lesson that he had had drilled in by his master, and he'd never forget it.

Stumbling to his feet, the boy staggered away, one hand holding his side tightly. He felt blood seeping through his shirt, and he gasped as the cold air filled his lungs.

"Damn…" he murmured, pausing at the edge of the gathering crowd. But as Allen glanced back at the window, he saw a shadow. He slipped into the knot of people.

He slipped on the icy ground as he was jostled in the crowd, but only one thing was on his mind: to get as far away from the building as possible. The boy staggered again, looking around.

No one looked twice at him. They were too busy watching the guests of the ball run out, screaming, or the police run in, shouting. Some police stood outside, trying to keep calm. Not that it worked.

He continued, holding his side. Finally he reached an alleyway, and slipped into it. Allen grunted as he leaned against the cold stone wall of the building.

That wasn't supposed to happen. That was bad. _Damn…not good at all_, he thought. He was starting to feel lightheaded from the blood loss.

The assassin slipped on the ice, sliding down the wall. He lost his footing completely and before he could catch himself, he toppled into a garbage can.

With a loud crash, the empty metal can rolled away as the boy fell to the ice and snow covered ground. Allen heard a startled yelp from a young man standing on his toes, trying to see over the crowd, as he tried to push himself up.

He managed to prop himself up on his right hand, the other clutching his side. He gasped. Everything was getting dimmer.

"W-what happened to you?" asked the shaken voice of the young man. He had come over to Allen.

Allen looked up slowly, silver eyes flickering up at the man.

The boy crumpled onto the snowy ground, his arm giving way. Darkness swam in his vision. He felt cold, but if that was the snow or not, Allen didn't know.

The last thing he heard was "W-wha--?" and the last thing he thought was _I'm so stupid_ before he lost consciousness.

ooo

Allen Walker turned in a small circle, looking around slowly.

It was very dark, for no stars or moon shown in the sky. If it was a sky at all. Allen stared straight up, into the pitch black, before looking down.

Once he had done so, he gasped and went on all fours, staring down.

The sky was _beneath_ him! He looked down, looking at the stars twinkle. Everything _was_ there! But beneath him. The moon shone brightly beneath him as well.

Allen rapped his knuckles on the surface he was standing on. It echoed slightly, like glass.

He stood up again on the glass like surface and looked around. At first it seemed empty, the only thing casting light coming from under him but then he caught a glimmer of a light.

It was a little ways away, floating. It cast a greenish light that pulsed slightly. Frowning, Allen walked towards it. It grew stronger as he neared it.

The boy stopped in front of it. He glanced down, seeing the stars and the moon under him. Maybe they had always been like that and he had never noticed. Then he turned his attention back to the greenish silver orb, bobbing slightly.

"What is it?" he asked himself aloud. It echoed through the empty dark world. He stared at the globe then circled it. He looked under it as well.

It floated at his eye level, still pulsing.

_It's pretty_, he thought, _what would happen if I touched it?_ He reached out a hand to touch the orb lightly, but just when he was about to reach it, it was pulled back.

Allen watched as a slender, glove covered hand closed around it. He followed the glove, to a pinstriped sleeve, up to a shoulder, then a face and gasped.

"W-what?" he whispered, taking a step back.

The man stayed silent, just smirking at him as he drew his hand up. He opened it, the orb floating an inch or so from his fingertips. Allen stared, then took a step forward, towards the man and the globe of greenish light.

He glanced down. No stars. The moon and stars were gone. He could only see his reflection in the glassy surface, cast in a greenish glow.

Allen reached a hand forward, towards the orb. "W-what is it?"

"This is what happens if you fail, Mr. Walker," the other said, his smirk widening darkly. He closed his hand around the orb.

Allen let out a cry of pain as all the light created by the orb disappeared. A stabbing pain jabbed at his side and clenched it.

"W-why?" he whispered, once the pain had subsided somewhat. He looked up, only to find that He was gone, only a solitary card floating in the space where he had been.

The boy stared at it, feeling like a child again, wondering what a simple thing was.

It was a card. But there was something different about it, he knew that. He stared at it as it turned slowly. The Ace of Spades. _His_ card.

He watched it carefully. His eyes widened as it wavered in shape. It bulged, and the color shifted from a bright white and black to a deep, glowing violet. He saw it shift shapes, lengthening. After a moment, it had finished its metamorphosis.

It was a butterfly.

It floated suspended in the dark for a moment, before it's wings twitched and it fluttered.

Allen watched the butterfly, noting that the pattern on its two biggest wings matched the suit the card had been, the ace. It was eerily beautiful, and he turned in a slow circle, following its progress.

"_Don't fail me!" _

The voice echoed inside him, and his side burst into pain, as well as in his chest. He thought his heart would burst with the pain. Allen collapsed onto the clear surface, curling into a ball, an attempt to lessen the agony.

Allen's eyes opened with a jolt.

The moment he had done so and had seen his surroundings, he let out a cry of shock and sat up with a start. He tangled in the blanket that had been over him and he toppled from the couch onto the ground. His back collided painfully with a coffee table and he closed his eyes as pain shot up his side.

"Ah…" he breathed, his head bowed, clutching his side.

"That was a rather…interesting reaction," said a young male voice from behind him. Allen looked around, eyes watering, to see a young man standing in the doorway to the small living room, holding a rag and a bowl of water.

"Who are you?" asked Allen sharply, disentangling himself from the blanket. He looked around and noticed his dagger sitting on the table. He moved to grab it, but the red-haired man grabbed it before.

"Whoa, calm down!" he said, holding the dagger tightly.

The silver haired boy stared at him, finally taking him in. He had a large amount of red-orange hair held back by a headband. One eye, his right, was covered by a black patch.

"First things first," said the boy. "I'm Lavi."

"A-Allen Walker," he said, dragging himself off the ground and settling on the couch.

"Well Allen," said the young man named Lavi. "I'm glad that you're awake. Actually, I'm slightly surprised that you woke so fast."

"S-so fast?" asked Allen. He shook his head. "How long was I out?"

Lavi, who seemed to have sensed the slight change in the other boy, sat down in a chair facing the couch. He set the rag and bowl of water down on the table, as well as the dagger.

"Only like…four hours maybe?" said Lavi. "Look…what happened? There was an attack at the Ball, but that's about all I know, because I thought you needed to be inside."

Allen nodded.

"Were you _in_ the ball?"

Again, Allen nodded.

Lavi gasped slightly. "Tell me what happened! I listened on the radio, but it's still too soon. The police aren't releasing any information yet!"

"I was at the ball…there was an attack. I…I went upstairs with some other guys to see what had happened, because we had heard gun shots and screams!" said Allen, casting his mind around for a story. He could do that.

Lavi watched him carefully.

"When we got there, there was this…this person," he said, putting on a frown, as if remembering. "He…or she—I couldn't see their face—killed the other men before we could react, but I ran. I saw…Miss Lee on the ground. I think…I think that person had k-killed…"

He broke off, choking up. Now that he could think clearer, he could come up with the "truth".

"…Killed her," he finished. Lavi's emerald eye widened in shock, his mouth falling open. "Then they shot at me. G-got me…in the side. I tripped when they shot me, and f-fell through the window."

"Fell? From the second story?" asked Lavi.

Allen nodded. "Y-yeah…"

He looked down, pulling off his jacket carefully. Lavi watched him before saying:

"I was just about to come and look at yo—" he stopped, seeing the full extent of Allen's injury.

"Ah…damn," whispered Allen. With his right hand, he fumbled in his left shoulder, pulling out a slender but rather long piece of glass. He sighed as it came fully out of his shoulder.

Lavi stared at him, a mixture of surprise, fear, and admiration filling his green eye.

"That's better," the white haired boy said, rolling his shoulder. It had been restricting the movement of his arm, if he didn't want it shattering in his shoulder.

"O-ok…" said Lavi, somewhat shaken. "Just…just a bit odd."

Allen looked around. "O-oh! Sorry!" he said. Lavi just shook his head, smiling.

"Its ok. I've seen worse actually," he said, "here." He handed the other boy the bowl of water and the rag and Allen pressed it over his shoulder.

"Do you mind if I take a shower? I…really need one, clean off these cuts," said Allen, staggering to his feet.

Lavi stood as well, grabbing the bowl. "Not at all. Only door on the left. If you want bandages, they're in the cabinet."

Allen bowed slightly, but held his side. "Thank you very much," he said and walked down the hall and disappeared into the bathroom.

Lavi sat back down. This boy, Allen…how did he get those injuries. He touched his right eye gently. He had been injured too, when he was very young. But those were serious. His jacket had been tattered, and Lavi had seen more than one hole. His side had been bleeding when Lavi had brought him back to his place, but he couldn't even help him, because the younger one had thrashed.

Inside the bathroom, Allen stepped into the steady stream of water. He flinched as it danced over his cuts and bruises, but it felt good. He rubbed his shoulder carefully, finding another piece of glass, smaller than the other.

"Note to self: jumping out second story window equals not good idea," he muttered to himself as he picked shards away. They bled, but the water washed it away.

Allen turned slowly, then looked down at his side. He grimaced. The bullet hadn't gone all the way through, so he had to get it out. Bracing his back with his right hand, he pressed two fingers carefully in. He gritted his teeth.

Finally he pulled his hand away, and brought it up to eye level. Blood ran down his arm from his fingers as he looked at the bullet. It was a larger bullet, but thankfully hadn't hit anything important, just hurt like hell.

Allen rubbed the wound carefully and watched as the blood ran into the drain. Finally he had cleaned all of his cuts and he turned off the water. He stepped out carefully and dropped the bullet in the small trashcan, along with the small pieces of glass.

Going to the cabinet that Lavi had said held bandages, he shivered slightly. He opened the door and found what he was looking for.

Looking in the mirror, he wrapped his torso with it, over the bullet wound. Then he took some gauze and covered the small cuts on his shoulder. He paused, staring at his left arm in the mirror.

"…Just the same," he murmured, sighing. He finished covering his cuts and pulled on his clothing, not bothering to button his shirt.

Lavi was looking closely at Allen's dagger when the boy in question came from the bathroom. The older one gave a started yelp and dropped it. It clattered to the table.

Allen stared at him. "D-do you…have a…shirt I could borrow? Mine's pretty messed up," he said, smiling awkwardly. Lavi nodded, standing.

"Yeah, just a bit," he commented, looking at his shirt, catching a glimpse at the younger man's chest and torso. It was wrapped in bandages.

"Let me get one for you, and then...we can talk a bit," said Lavi, disappearing. He rubbed his eyes. He was tired. It was midnight, and he had had a busy day.

He came back out with a plain shirt, white, almost exactly the same as the one Allen had been wearing. He didn't really wear things like that. He found the white haired boy sitting on the couch, staring at the dagger, which he held in his hand.

"Here," he said, handing the shirt to him. Allen smiled and went into the bathroom, coming out with it on. Lavi noticed he wore a white glove on his left hand and wondered if he had been wearing that before or not. He came and sat back down once more.

"Thanks," Allen said. Lavi nodded absentmindedly and sat down across from him again.

There was a moment of silence where Allen continued to stare at the dagger. He had a blank expression, so Lavi couldn't read what he may have been feeling. But he did know that he was getting an odd feeling from the boy.

"What does it say?" asked Lavi, pointing to the blade. When he had been looking at it, he had seen strange letters or markings on it.

"This? It says 'use it how I taught you to'," said Allen, running a thumb over the odd letters.

Lavi pondered. He had studied history for a long time, it was his favorite thing to read about, but he'd never come across the language that was inscribed into the metal.

"Its…do you know what…are you familiar with what 'Magyk' is?" Allen asked suddenly, cutting himself off.

The redhead stared for a moment. "Who…who doesn't know what it is. B-but I thought it wasn't really _here_, if you know what I mean."

The other laughed lightly. "This town, Mancal Willings…well, its on something one might call a center of this…energy," he explained.

"So, it's…real? Huh…never thought about it. I…I came from a small town in the mountains, so the only ones who have magic is the healers and such," said Lavi, thinking.

"Magyk," corrected Allen. He nodded. "Its real. And everyone has magyk in them, at least a minimum amount. But some have more than others…those people can do inhuman things."

"Inhuman? Well…" Lavi said. "What about healing?"

"Its illegal to use magyk in the city of Mancal Willings," said Allen bluntly.

"What?"

Allen nodded. "It's illegal. You can't use it, even for healing. But everything has a language. So does magyk. That's what this is," he said, pointing to the small shapes.

"What's it say again?" asked Lavi.

"Use it how I taught you to," Allen said.

"Who?"

"My…master," he left it at that, then stood. "Thank you for the help and the bandages."

He looped the dagger sheath around his waist and slipped the dagger in then pulled on his jacket.

"Wait! What do you think your doing?" asked Lavi, standing. "I'm not a doctor, but I have studied medicine lightly and I know that someone who was just shot shouldn't be galloping away."

"I'll be fine. Thanks again. But one more thing…you look familiar," said Allen, walking towards the door. "Were you the one running through the street earlier today?"

Lavi laughed. "Actually, yes," he said. Allen smiled then gave a small wave.

"Thanks for the help," he said and opened the door. His hand lingered on the doorframe before disappearing completely. Then the door closed and Lavi was left standing alone in his apartment, staring at the door.

* * *

**Please review! Hope you liked it!**


	4. Friend

Allen limped slowly down the street

Allen limped slowly down the street. His foot had been tweaked in the fall from the second story window and it stung.

The moon shone brightly overhead as the boy continued. No one was out. Why would there be? It had to be around 1 o'clock in the morning by now. He glanced around as he paused, holding his side.

No one was in sight. He saw snow drift down slowly. The street was slippery as he passed dark windows.

_It's just a job, nothing more,_ thought Allen to himself as he entered his apartment complex. He felt a shiver run through him as he neared the door.

"Something's not right," he murmured. He stood there for a moment, then opened the door.

The moment the door had closed with a snap, Allen was hit on his side by something heavy. It carried him sideways to the wall and he crashed into a bookcase, causing several books to fall. The assassin gritted his teeth as the hand around his throat tightened slightly.

With a muffled cry, Allen brought a leg up and twisted it with the arm of his capture. He jerked, bringing it around so that the mans arm twisted painfully. He let go of Allen with a yell.

The boy took no more than a second to pull himself together. While the man stumbled backwards, he twisted around and kicked the large man in the stomach, causing him to tumble backwards.

Allen jumped, using one foot to push against the wall and propelled himself towards the other man standing, watching with wide eyes. He kicked him hard in the chest, pulling out his dagger in the same movement.

"Stop!" a voice ordered.

Silver blue eyes flashed as he turned, landing gracefully, dagger half-raised.

"If you want to get a bullet in your chest, continue," said the one standing before him. The man was slightly older than Allen himself, one hand on the gun that pointed straight at the assassin. "And don't get me wrong…I'd enjoy it very much."

"Who are you?" asked Allen, staring at the young man.

The man smirked and lowered the gun, but kept it in his hand.

"I'm like you," the other said, the smirk disappearing slightly, to be replaced with a look something like revulsion. His long black hair was pulled back into a high ponytail.

"What?" asked Allen. He heard groans from behind him and knew that the two men were getting up.

"Tch…I'm here because of the Boss," the young man said. "He calls you. We're leaving now."

Allen narrowed his eyes, but nodded, slipping the dagger back into its sheath. The only person he could think of who people called 'Boss' was Tyki Mikk and so, he must go.

"Get up you two, stop whimpering," the one holding the gun hissed, using it to get the two up off the ground and towards the door. "You too."

Allen left his apartment followed closely by the two large men and the black-haired young man. They past the office and the boy noticed the landlord. But the man just shrank back into the depths of his desk at the sight of the small group.

Once outside, one of the men went in front of the white haired young man and the other followed. The third walked quietly behind. He had slipped the gun into its holder, but Allen knew that he was ready.

They reached the door in the alley and one of the men knocked. The door opened without delay and they walked in.

The tables were almost all empty, but what more did Allen expect? It was around 1 o'clock. They reached the back door quickly and entered.

"I see that you…'completed' your job," said the voice of Tyki. Allen looked around. The tall man wasn't sitting at his desk, but then the assassin noticed him sitting on the couch, a glass in his slender fingers.

He watched as the figure of the other young man walked across the room to Tyki. He bent slightly and murmured something to him. The tall man nodded and the black haired young man retreated to the wall where another sat on the back of a chair.

"Why do you need to see me? You saw me yesterday, and I did your job," said Allen, standing in front of Tyki. The man looked up slightly, the cigarette at the corner of his mouth.

"There's a complication, if you will, with your job," he said, standing.

"What do you mean? I killed her, didn't I?"

Tyki laughed darkly, taking a small drink of whatever was held in the thin glass. "Oh Mr. Walker…yes you did kill _that_ girl."

Allen turned, following with his eyes as the man in the pinstriped suit walked slowly around the room.

"But, I'm sad to say that it wasn't the one I wanted killed," he said. He had made his way over to the two by the wall. He ran a finger down the cheek of the one sitting on the chair and Allen thought that he shivered at the lords' touch.

"What are you saying?" said Allen. The man on the chair had stopped his play with the small golden ball that he held when Tyki had touched him and now he was rolling it between his palms nervously.

Tyki turned and faced him fully.

"Miss Lee was ahead of us," he said, and tossed a newspaper to the assassin.

It was dated the 13th. "This is tomorrows paper," he said. Tyki nodded, taking a small drink from his glass.

"Very good Mr. Walker. Read the first page," he said.

Allen scanned down the page, his eyes widening as he went down. He looked up once he had finished.

"A body double?" asked the silver-eyed boy.

"Very good. Now, I shall admit that I didn't realize either, so it isn't totally your fault," said the boss, sitting down at his desk. "So, you get another chance."

"Tch…you got lucky kid," whispered the dark haired young man who leaned against the wall beside the other.

"Oh yes, I forgot to introduce you," said Tyki.

Allen looked over at the two. The one standing glared at him with dark navy blue eyes. The other looked at him with brown eyes and a smile played on his lips.

"Mr. Walker, I would like you to know Mr. Yu Kanda," Tyki said, motioning towards the one standing, "and Mr. Daisya Barry. They, like you, are assassins."

Silver eyes watched them carefully. Both were older than he was. That didn't matter. But he never knew Tyki to hire more than two assassins at a time but this time, he had three.

"I have a need for their skills," said the man, watching Allen. It was like he had read his mind. "But you don't need to worry about them. I called you here to tell you that you actually did _not_ kill Miss Lee and that I'm giving you another chance."

"Yes," said Allen.

"But I warn you…next time, if you happen to…fail, then you won't be so lucky," he said quietly. "I also noticed that you were somewhat…messy with this killing. Don't let that happen again."

"Messy? What do you mean?"

At that, Kanda made a soft, harsh laugh. Tyki glanced at him but said nothing.

"You were hurt. Mr. Kanda told me. You might have been caught. But you may go," he said. Allen bowed slightly and walked out of the room. _So that's what he said to him_, thought Allen, thinking back to when he entered. Kanda had whispered something to the leader.

He walked through the tables, limping slightly. It was still snowing as he left the building and into the alleyway.

"Damn!" Allen slammed his fist into the wall angrily. He was shaking slightly. That had been close. And he had killed the wrong person! Not that he knew that. He thought it was Miss Lee. _She's smart,_ he thought as he headed to his apartment. _Doesn't go to her own birthday ball…she knew that it would be too dangerous._

ooo

Lavi opened the book he had got the other day. He had tried to sleep, but he couldn't. He was too shaken by the news that Miss Lee had been killed. He knew nothing of what happened, because it was so late, or so early, that the paper hadn't been handed out yet.

A tear ran down his cheek as he thought of the girl. He couldn't believe it…she just couldn't be dead. He took a shaking breath and ran a hand over the old pages of the book.

He turned the pages carefully, relaxing. There was something about books. They were calming, especially old ones. They set off a feeling of security. But he wondered if someone had done that on purpose.

The young man frowned, turning another page. He wasn't really reading it, he was thinking.

Allen had said that magyk was strong here. He also had said that almost everyone had a minimal amount, but others had more.

Lavi knew that Allen had more than normal. He could tell. Right off, when he had found the boy in the alley, he'd felt it.

Yes, Lavi knew more about magyk than he had let on. Best to play ignorant. He actually had some of his own, but no where near what he had sensed from Allen. He sighed, his eye moving down the page.

Something caught his attention, bringing him out of his thoughts.

_Magyk, what it can do._

"I don't know," whispered the boy to himself and the book. It only said what he already knew. He rubbed his eye and closed the book. Maybe he would go talk to Mr. Allen Walker tomorrow, but right now he needed sleep.

ooo

"Reports have finally come in. The police verify that the girl who was murdered was Miss Anna Min…Miss Min worked for Miss Lee as a guard…She took Miss Lee's place at the ball."

Allen lifted his head from his pillow and looked groggily at his clock. Seven o'clock. He groaned and let his head fall back onto the pillow. He had been dozing, half-asleep, so the report hadn't really pieced together.

The radio continued. "So, has anyone seen the murderer?" the reporter asked some unnamed person.

"No one has been able to give a description as of today. But if anyone has information, please come to the police station."

"That was the deputy. We will keep you updated when we have more information."

The radio clicked off as Allen's hand hit the button. It fell off the shelf as his hand slid down, to land on the floor with a small thud.

"Get…up," he said to himself. He pulled himself up and placed the radio back on the shelf.

After getting breakfast and taking a shower, he was feeling much better. He walked to his bookcase and put the books back that had fallen the previous night.

He didn't have a job as of this moment, so he could go do what he liked. Allen thought of the new antique and bookstore that had moved in a couple weeks ago. Maybe he would go over and look around.

He pulled on his jacket and left his apartment, heading down to the store.

Allen paused at the door and peered into the windows. It seemed full of objects and books. Mostly books. He smiled slightly and entered.

Inside the shop, sounds were muffled by the large number of books. He had just got over the threshold when he heard a yell.

"Get back here!"

"Sorry, you told me to leave and I'm leav—"

The young man ran straight into Allen and they both fell. Allen let out a small yelp of surprise as he was carried to the ground. He could've caught himself, but whoever it was, was on top of him.

"Ah!"

"Ow!" Allen's head collided painfully with the ground. He closed his eyes tightly as they watered.

"Sorry mate, didn't see y—Allen?"

Allen opened his eyes and saw Lavi. "Get…off of…me," he muttered.

"Oh sorry," said Lavi and got off the white haired boy, "here."

He offered Allen his hand and helped him up. "Sorry 'bout that. I was just trying to get away from—"

"Lavi. Give. Me. The. Book," said an elderly man, coming out from the back of the shop. Lavi smiled nervously then hid behind Allen, holding something closely.

"Whoa." Allen was dragged backwards slightly as Lavi moved to the door, still hiding.

"Lavi!" said the man, but Lavi had reached the door and ran, pulling Allen with him.

"Owowow! Lavi! Watch the side!" But Lavi ignored his protests and continued dragging him through the crowd, until they reached a snow covered park.

There he let go of Allen and pushed the snow off a bench then sat down. Allen, wheezing, sat down beside him.

"Thanks," said Lavi, panting slightly and leaning back on the bench.

"Why…did we…have to run away?" asked Allen, holding his side.

"Oh sorry, forgot about the side. You look good though, better than yesterday," Lavi commented, pulling out a small book.

"That's why we were running?" Allen asked, staring at the book.

Lavi nodded excitedly then opened it. "Yeah! I've been wanting this book for a while and Bookman wouldn't sell it to me!"

"Bookman?" the silver eyed boy asked. He had regained his breath a little.

"Yeah, that old guy. He's the owner of the shop, as well as my only family. But he wouldn't let me even _see_ this book," said Lavi. He flipped through the small book happily.

"Oh…wow," whispered Lavi.

"What is it?"

"It's…nothing," the other boy said and slipped it in his pocket. Allen narrowed his eyes but said nothing.

"Why'd you drag _me_ anyway?" asked Allen.

Lavi shrugged. "Just wanted to talk to you, see if you're alright. I'd think that someone who was shot would be in bed…but you're up and about," he said, grinning.

"I'm not one to lay in bed," said Allen, then stood.

"It was nice to see you again," he said, waving to Lavi.

"Wait a second. Sheesh, you jump and run quite fast, don't you?" said the redhead, getting up and grabbing Allen's arm.

Allen turned. "Just my nature," he said, smiling and pulling his arm from Lavi's grip. "See you around."

"Allen! Wait a moment! Can't I even talk to you?" Lavi caught up to him, walking beside the younger boy as he walked through the park.

"Lavi…" said Allen.

"Yeah?"

"Why're you following me?" he asked quietly.

Lavi stared at him, puzzled. "You're interesting, and seem like a good friend. I just want to know you better."

Allen stopped walking, so that Lavi walked past him. Lavi looked back to see the other staring at the ground.

"A 'good friend'? I…don't think I've ever had a good friend," said Allen.

"Never?" said the taller boy, walking slowly back to Allen.

Allen looked up. "No. But I don't think its wise to be my friend."

"And why's that?" he asked.

"Dangerous. People who know me, get close to me…end up getting hurt or killed. That's happened more than once, so stay away from me," said Allen, starting to walk again.

"Allen…I _knew_ that there was something about you," said Lavi. "That made you different. It's the magyk…you have a lot, just like you were talking about."

"W-what?" the silver eyed boy froze.

"Not just your eyes and hair and such…you _do_ have more than usual. I can feel it," he said.

"And how do you…" Allen drifted off, looking around. "Something isn't right."

Lavi looked around as well. "I don't see anyone," he said.

"Doesn't matter. They're here…and I have a feeling I know who they are," he said, looking through the trees.

The sound of a gun echoed through the park just as Allen pushed Lavi away. Allen pulled back just in time to feel the bullet whiz past him. It hit a trashcan, making it jump.

"Damn it!" Allen looked around.

"What's going on?" asked Lavi. He regained his footing.

"Stay lower…why're they attack me? They know…" hissed Allen. "Unless they're not _them_."

He ducked quickly as another shot was fired. "No…it's _them_. Lavi, get away from here!"

"Allen, what the hell is going on?" he asked as another bullet flew overhead.

"Get out of here!" hissed Allen. He looked around and caught sight of a flash of long hair just as another shot was fired. He gritted his teeth.

"Just run! I'm going to follow!" he said.

Lavi stared at him then nodded.

"Wait…wait…NOW! RUN NOW!" ordered Allen. Lavi scrambled to his feet, slipping slightly on the snow.

He ran as fast as he could. He heard a yell and glanced back.

A large, muscular man held Allen, who was struggling, in his tight grip. Lavi skidded to a halt, ready to turn back, but slid on the ice and fell.

"All—" Lavi stopped his yell, his mouth falling open.

Allen had twisted in the man's grip. He kicked the man hard and as the man yowled, ducked under his arms.

"Whoa…" whispered Lavi.

Allen's expression was stony as he jumped, kicking the man in the stomach. Lavi stared then gasped.

Lavi felt Allen's magyk level shift slightly. Before, it had been abnormal, but subdued. Now it was burning.

"What's going on…" whispered Lavi, pushing himself up off the ground.

"I wouldn't get up if I were you," hissed a dark voice from behind him and he felt the cold muzzle of a gun touch his back. He froze in terror.


	5. Revealed

Please read and review!

* * *

The only thing that went through Lavi's mind was what Allen had said

The only thing that went through Lavi's mind was what Allen had said. It echoed clearly in his ears as he felt the muzzle of the gun press against his back. _Dangerous. People who know me, get close to me…end up getting hurt or killed._

His eye flickered back, but he couldn't see who was standing behind him without turning his head and he wouldn't risk it.

Allen was right. He was terribly, accurately, horrifyingly right. It was dangerous. After seeing the boy fight (which he was still doing) and then the figure standing behind him with the gun.

There was a yell and Lavi stared across to Allen. Allen slid, using his hand to spin around. His feet aimed for the man's head. There was a sickening thud as Allen's boots made contact with the man's skull and he slumped to the ground.

Allen stood, looking around. He froze when he caught sight of Lavi.

The young man was breathing hard. The man holding him around the neck, the gun resting on his head, was grinning cruelly.

"Why're you doing this?" called Allen.

"Because you're far to liked," hissed the young man. He kept his hold on his gun.

Allen took a step forward and the one with the gun pressed it harder to Lavi's temple. Lavi gasped, whimpering. The silver eyed boy stopped.

"What do you want Kanda?" asked Allen, staring at the man. Kanda's eyes flashed.

"As I said before. You're far to liked. And if you're gone, then _I'll_ get the good jobs. Doesn't take a genius to figure it out," he said.

"A-Allen?" called Lavi.

"Shut up," hissed Kanda, pulling him down some. Lavi scrambled for a hold on the icy ground, but Kanda held him in such a way that he couldn't keep his feet flat.

"Kanda. What good would killing _him_ do you? He doesn't know anything!" said Allen, taking a step forward.

"When did you start caring for normal people? Who can't do anything to defend themselves. I know that you like a good fight, but most don't gi—" Kanda was cut off by a shout.

"This is the police! Let the young man go!" a loud voice echoed through the park.

Kanda turned quickly, looking around. Allen did as well, his silver eyes narrowing. They were surrounded.

"Put the gun down and put your hands above your head or we'll fire!" ordered a police officer.

"And if I don't want to?" hissed Kanda.

Lavi tried to pull away. He was shaking terribly. But Kanda kept his grip on him.

"We will open fire!" called the police officer.

Kanda turned, walking backwards slowly towards Allen. He dragged Lavi with him, and only let him go when he had reached the other boy.

"Put the gun down!" called the police.

Lavi fell to the ground. He rubbed his neck, then looked up at the two who stood, staring around. _What the hell is going on? They had just been about to kill each other!_

"Got a plan Moyashi?" hissed Kanda in a whisper that barely reached Lavi. He barely moved his lips.

"We can get them…" Allen said quietly. Lavi had no clue what was going on. But one thing he did know was that Allen was much more than he had appeared the first time he had met him.

He pushed himself back, bumping into the legs of the two.

"When I say," hissed Kanda. Allen nodded, his expression blank.

"W-what are you going to—"

"Now!" Kanda hissed.

Kanda and Allen drew faster than Lavi had imagined possible. They took no time to shoot and fired at the same time, hitting their targets straight on.

Lavi let out a small cry.

The police opened fire, but both young men just continued to fire. They barely moved, and only did when they needed too.

Bullets were everywhere. Most of the bullets from the police missed, hitting trees and benches and the like. Almost all of the bullets fired by Allen or Kanda hit their marks.

There was a grunt and Kanda stumbled backwards. Allen took no time. He spun around and shot the man who had hit Kanda.

Shouting rang in the air, as well as the echoes of shots. Kanda straightened up, one hand pressed hard against his shoulder. Blood had started running over his fingers.

But he wasn't beaten yet. Kanda raised his free hand and fired a line of shots rapidly.

"Damn," he whispered. His hand was shaking. He fired his gun again, but it missed. Allen turned and fired, hitting Kanda's target in the chest. The police officer crumpled.

A silence fell over the park as quickly as it had been broken minutes before.

"W-what…" Lavi got to his feet and looked from Kanda to Allen. Allen was looking around the park, eyes narrowed. One gun was still in his hand. Kanda had dropped his gun and was holding his shoulder.

Lavi was about to speak again when an automobile drove up on the street. They ignored the bodies of the police officers and stopped.

He stared at it in awe. You didn't get many around and so it must be someone rich. But he felt both Kanda and Allen stiffen as they spotted it.

The window opened and from inside came a soft, dark voice.

"Come with me Mr. Kanda. I would like a word with you," it said, a hand beckoning from the open window. But Lavi couldn't see who was sitting inside because the shadows were too deep.

Kanda gritted his teeth but nodded and started to walk towards the car.

"Forgetting something," said Allen. Kanda turned just in time to catch the gun the silver-eyed boy tossed at him. He nodded and entered the car. Lavi thought he saw cold eyes before the door closed and the car drove around the corner.

Allen watched it roll away.

"A-Allen?" asked Lavi.

"We have to get out of here. Now!" said Allen. He scanned the park just as a siren howled into hearing.

"Now! Get up now!" he said. "I can't handle them all!" He pushed Lavi, then grabbed his arm and ran.

The redhead had no memory of running that fast. Allen was practically flying over the ground, dragging him, Lavi, along. His feet slipped on the ice, but the other boy didn't let him go.

Lavi could hear the sirens. They seemed to be getting louder.

Allen ran through the crowd, then suddenly slid sideways into an alleyway. Lavi almost flew past it; he was going way too fast on the ice. He feared that he would crash into the people in front of him when Allen pulled him sideways.

"Whoa!" Lavi let out a surprised yell as he was dragged into the alleyway.

"We're far enough away," said Allen.

The redhead just stared at him. He was wheezing and gasping for air as if he had been plunged into icy water. Allen was standing against the wall, only breathing slightly harder than normal.

He realized that their positions had switched.

Not ten minutes before, it was Lavi who had dragged Allen. And it was Allen who was wheezing. No, he hadn't been. It had been an act.

"Y-you're…n-not…tired?" breathed Lavi, holding his side and leaning against the wall.

Allen looked at him. "I told you that it was dangerous. You should go, while you have a chance," he said.

Lavi frowned.

"But…you know," he whispered. He wasn't really talking to the older boy. "Come on."

ooo

"What the hell is going on? You…you aren't the 'average' guy you were at first! And how can you get away with that stuff?" Lavi asked as they entered Allen's apartment.

Allen just unhooked the belt that held his guns and dropped it on his table, not looking at Lavi.

"I don't even know _why_ I'm here! The magyk in this town is wacked!" said Lavi, slumping down on a chair.

Allen turned slowly towards the other boy. "Yes it is…and you're here because you want information. Information about magyk."

The redhead stared up at him, his green eye wide. He took a deep breath. "Ok. Yeah, you're right," he said, then smiled lightly. "That _was_ pretty cool…the way you beat that guy."

Allen sat down on another chair, pulling something from his boot. It turned out to be his dagger.

"You really were loaded weren't you?" asked Lavi. He had calmed down considerably. He was still slightly shaken that he had witnessed the murder of almost a dozen police officers though.

"Ok…so…what are you?" he asked.

Allen laughed lightly. "What am I? Human," he said.

"Well…yeah. But I…I can feel a very large, abnormal amount of magyk around you," said the eye-patched young man.

Allen looked slightly surprised. "You can sense magyk? Well…yes, I…I do have a large amount."

"Knew it," said Lavi.

"But now you're mixed up with me…you've fallen into shadows," said Allen darkly. "I tried to warn you…but its too la—"

Allen turned around sharply to stare at the door. A moment later, soft knocking came from it. The silver eyes narrowed and he frowned, getting up.

He grabbed one of the guns and held it at the ready, then walked slowly over to the door. Carefully, he turned the knob and opened it a fraction of an inch.

"Second time," Lavi heard Allen say before the boy was slammed into the wall by a large man. He grunted as he hit it.

Lavi jumped off the chair with a startled yell and backed up, tripping over the small table.

Allen was about to throw the man off when someone else entered the room. She surveyed the scene carefully then closed the door.

"Mr. Walker?" she asked. Allen stared at her, pausing in his struggling.

"Looking well for someone who's supposed to be dead," he hissed. Lavi felt a shift in his magyk and not a good shift. It had darkened. He couldn't see who was standing there for he had fallen over the small table.

Carefully, he pushed himself up and peered around the table.

"L-Lenalee?!" he gasped, pulling himself up completely. He took a step forward.

The girl turned in surprise. "Lavi!"

Allen's eyes slid from one to the other, making no attempt to struggle. He hung limply in his captures' arms.

"What're you doing here?" she asked Lavi. He walked forward.

"I really don't know. Today's been really crazy!" he said, running a hand through his flaming hair. Allen watched both carefully. Miss Lee smiled lightly.

"But…I have business," she said. "Mr. Walker. Were you the one who attempted to kill me?"

She stared at the boy. He had narrowed his eyes until only a slim sliver could be seen and so it was hard to know what he was looking at.

"If I was, am I in trouble? And if I am, how can you punish me? But if I didn't, then what?" he said. The silver blue flashed.

Miss Lee stood there, regarding him carefully.

"It's a question. Can you answer it?" she asked.

"Sure I can…" he said.

"A-Allen…were you the person who killed that girl?" Lavi asked, slightly surprised.

A small smile ran across his face. And in a sudden motion, he pushed himself upwards. The man had loosened his grip and Allen easily slid from it, planting a hard kick in his stomach. The man fell with a crash.

Allen stood, looking at the two very carefully.

"You know that I could kill you?" he hissed.

Lavi shivered. It wasn't the words, but the feeling he was getting. It was murderous, close to what he felt when Allen was fighting.

"Yes, I do," said the girl. "But you won't."

Allen blinked. He stared at her.

"I know that I could do nothing even if you said you were trying to kill me. The police have almost no power in this town. The power resides in the heads of families who own the city," said the girl.

"We compete for power. The police just get thrown in…really, they don't have enough forces to subdue the crazy things that happen in this city," she explained. "So instead of the police, we send assassins to take care of each other."

"Assassins?" whispered Lavi.

Lenalee glanced at him, smiling slightly. "Yes. To get information and to kill those who stand in the way. I haven't yet done this…"

"But that's why they tried to kill you…because you own half the city," commented Lavi. She nodded.

"More than half actually Lavi," she said. "But that hardly matters."

"So who do you think sent the assassin who killed your body double?" he asked.

Allen watched them silently. He wanted to know why she had decided to make a house call, and so he waited.

"Do you know the other top power in city of Mancal Willings?" asked Miss Lee, pulling back her hair slightly.

"Um…" Lavi racked his mind, but couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"The leader of East-West gang," murmured Allen. Lavi barely even heard him and turned.

"What?"

"Say it again," said Miss Lee.

"The leader of East-West gang," he repeated, staring at them. "Yes, I was sent to kill you. But you were just a job."

"You're an assassin?" asked Lavi in surprise. Well, partial surprise. He wasn't really surprised, after seeing how he fought and the level of magyk he had.

Allen narrowed his eyes dangerously and Lavi felt the magyk pulse. "Yes."

"Who ordered you to kill me?" asked Miss Lee. She seemed much too calm for this. A highly skilled assassin stood in front of them and she asked him politely with no fear.

"Why do you want to know?" the white haired boy asked.

Lenalee sighed and pulled her hat off. "I wish to employ your services…and of course I would pay you."

Lavi stared at her, his eye wide.

"What?!" Allen seemed taken aback. He even _stepped_ back.

"You're not bound to one person are you?" she asked. "Am I correct that Mr. Mikk is a usual to employ you though?"

He nodded. He had no clue what was going on. Why would she come and ask the one who tried to kill her to work for her?

"But he doesn't own me," hissed Allen.

"So you could take another job if you wanted?" she asked. He nodded again. Lavi watched the two carefully.

"Tell me what you're answer is tomorrow." She handed him a slip of paper and he looked at it. Lavi had just enough time to see it to read _To celebrate my birthday_ before Allen's hand closed around it.

He nodded again.

She bowed slightly then motioned to the man who had come with her. "Lavi, come with me please…"

"'Course!" he said and followed her out, leaving Allen alone staring at the card.

"Lavi…why were you there?" asked Lenalee as they exited the apartment complex.

"Because…he dragged me there. He…he had just killed a bunch of police with this other guy—wait, I bet he was an assassin as well! Well, anyway…they started out fighting, but when the police came, they fought together to kill them off," he told her as they walked out into the night.

"Assassins do that. But…I really need information about the leader of East-West gang Lavi! He's the one who tried to kill me and if he takes control of the city, life will be so much worse," Lenalee said.

Lavi nodded. "So…Allen was working for this leader?"

"He's been working for him for quite a while actually…" said Lenalee.

"How do you know? About a lot of stuff…like that he's an assassin! Wouldn't he keep that to himself? Or am I just not getting this?" Lavi asked as they walked down the street.

"We have records of all the known assassins in this town. The problem is that when someone is killed, we don't know which assassin did it. And we don't have enough police to track all of them. And even if we put a unit on an assassin or two, they turn up dead in less then a week," she explained.

"They're very smart…they know what they're doing. And Allen, on record, he's killed 76 different people that we know of. This includes police, citizens and his targets," Lenalee said, stopping.

Lavi stared at her, his eye wide. "W-what? 76?! And no one's caught him? He's not even wanted!"

"Lavi, you don't get it!" she said, slightly impatient. "If an assassin was to be put on a wanted list, they would just kill _more_ people to prove they _don't care_! And even if we were to go against them with a troop, they'd still get away."

"What do you mean?" he asked her.

"I mean that they're strong. They know how to fight and get away and kill. That boy could easily kill the entire police force if given enough time," she said. Lavi blanched.

"But it was nice seeing you," she said, smiling. "I hope that you come as well!"

"Yeah, of course!" he said. "I…I've missed you."

Lenalee smiled sadly. "Me too. I'll see you tomorrow then?" Lavi nodded then hugged her briefly. She hugged him back then climbed into her carriage. The driver cracked his whip and the horses jumped into motion.

Lavi watched as the carriage disappeared then headed for his own apartment, shivering slightly in the cold and thinking of what the girl had said.


	6. Job

Allen stared at the card that Miss Lee had handed him

Allen stared at the card that Miss Lee had handed him. How did he get into this mess? A couple of days ago, he had killed her…well, of a sort. And now she was asking him to work for her.

He knew that Tyki wouldn't just leave her alone. If he wanted her dead and the job failed, he would send another assassin. But he said that Allen got another chance.

"What am I doing?" whispered Allen to himself. He closed his eyes and lay back on his bed. "Sleep. Figure it out in the morning."

And without another thought, he fell asleep.

ooo

Lavi glanced at the invite that he had received. He had gotten an invite for Lenalee's first birthday ball, but he couldn't go because he hadn't responded in time. And he was very glad that he hadn't gone.

"5 o'clock," he read. "I have time to check in at the shop and give back the book I borrowed the day of the…murder."

He pulled on his jacket and raced downstairs. Lavi waved at the landlord as he ran past and then headed towards the shop.

"Ol' man? I have your book!" he called out as he entered. The redhead looked around and headed to the back of the shop.

"Did you enjoy it?" came an icy voice and was promptly knocked flat on his back. He held up the book so that Bookman could take it.

"Thank you," he hissed and grabbed it from the redheads' hand and walked away. Lavi pushed himself up off the ground and fixed his headband, grinning.

"Hey panda…I'm going to the dance," he said, following the elderly man as he placed the large leather bound book back on its shelf. "Lenalee asked me t—"

"What've you done with the other book?" Bookman said, cutting him off. Lavi stared at him.

"What other book…OH! That one? I still have it. Don't worry, its safe with me!" he said. "But anyway. I'm going to the ball."

"Why're you telling me this?" asked the old man as he shuffled through his books. Lavi followed closely, ducking under a shelf that stuck out.

"I don't know. Just wanted to tell you. It's today at 5," he said.

Bookman stopped and glared at him. "I don't care. Go flirt if you like! Just leave me alone and give me my book back!"

"You're so kind Panda!" said Lavi lovingly and backed off, heading out of the shop. Bookman sighed and watched the young man leave the shop.

ooo

"Lavi, I'm so glad that you were able to come!" said Lenalee, walking over to the young man. Lavi looked dashing in his tux, his red-orange hair falling handsomely around his face.

"Yeah, I'm glad I could come as well!" he said happily, bowing to her slightly. This _was_ Lenalee. He could tell. If it was someone else, he could tell just by the magyk.

The girl looked around the room. The building in which the ball was taking place was different from that of the first one. Lenalee had said that she wouldn't go into that building again so soon.

"People are still arriving," commented Lavi. Lenalee nodded.

"Yes. I really hope that Mr. Walker decides to work for us. His help would be very helpful. I know very little about Mr. Mikk," said the girl, smoothing down the front of her silver and gold dress.

Lavi nodded. He knew that it would be good to have Allen on they're side, but he still didn't trust the boy. He was an assassin. He could kill them easily. What kept him from killing them all?

At that moment, the door opened and a large number of people flooded in.

Lenalee left to meet them. Lavi watched her carefully. He spotted a number of people he recognized, but no Allen yet. And then, after many of the people had entered and dispersed, talking and laughing, he spotted a flash of white.

It was Allen. He looked around carefully, his silver blue eyes glittering under his hair.

"You decided to come," said Lavi, walking over to him. He still felt uneasy, but he smiled anyway.

Allen looked up at him, a small smile on his lips.

"Yes, I have. But they're watching me…" he murmured, glancing at the guards positioned around the room.

Lavi looked around, seeing that as well. "Yes they are. Rather closely actually."

_Can we trust him_? Wondered Lavi, glancing at Allen. He was fiddling with his glove, but he could tell he was alert.

"So. You came," Lenalee said, coming over. Allen looked up and nodded. Lenalee watched him carefully.

Time past. Lenalee moved around the room, greeting people. Lavi watched her then looked at other guests. Some were dancing to the music played by the small orchestra.

Towards 6:30, the music stopped.

"Ladies and gentlemen! May I have your attention?" someone was standing on the stairs, speaking loudly to the crowd. Everyone turned and the chatter died down.

"I'd just like to say Happy Birthday Miss Lee! And that we're all so happy to have you here. We might have lost you when that murderer killed that poor girl. But you're safe and sound. So please give a round of applause for Miss Lee!" the man started clapping and soon everyone was.

Lenalee stood by the wall and beamed at everyone as they clapped. Soon the clapping died down.

"Thank you very much! I'm very glad that I could be here as well," she said. "But now, why don't you just enjoy the food and dance?"

Everyone laughed lightly and the music started again. Couples started dancing once more.

"Mr. Walker, would you dance with me?" Lenalee asked, walking over to the two boys.

Allen blinked then nodded. Lavi watched the two walk onto the dance floor and start to dance.

"So, do you accept my invitation?" asked Lenalee as they danced.

Allen thought a moment. "I accept. I shall work for you to get information on Tyki. But I must tell you. This is _very_ dangerous for me."

"I understand," she replied, "but can I trust you?"

"I stay with the jobs I take. Even if my…trade isn't so honorable, I won't…turn on you," said the silver-haired young man.

"But you're turning against Mr. Mikk aren't you?" she asked. He gritted his teeth.

"I have no job at the moment, so no. He doesn't own me," he said. They continued to dance. Lavi watched them carefully. He turned, heading for a chair, when he felt a shift in Allen's magyk levels.

He turned, staring at the boy.

"Can you prove how good you are?" asked Miss Lee as they danced.

Allen was silent for a moment, concentrating. His eyes darted around the room, pausing on a man sitting at a chair beside a column.

"He's not with anyone," he said quietly. "I don't know him. He'd not doing a very good job…I can see his weapon. He came here to kill you. Probably a different gang. It's not East-West gang."

Lenalee turned her head, looking at the man. They made eye contact and Lenalee smiled sweetly.

"Are you sure?" she asked, looking at Allen.

He nodded wordlessly. "I'll show you…" he said. He stopped dancing.

The man had stood up. Allen slipped away, off the dance floor and left Lenalee alone. She watched him go then looked over at the man. He had paused, looking around carefully.

Lavi looked around. He was getting an odd buzzing sensation. It was magyk, but not Allen's. Someone else had a larger-than-normal level. Then he stopped at the man.

Suddenly, the man pulled something from under his jacket. It was a gun. People screamed as he took a step forward.

But before he could get any closer or fire, some one walked into him and on purpose or on accident, tangled their feet with his. The two fell to the ground. The man gave a startled yell and tried to pull away.

But then the bodyguards were on him.

"He was right," whispered Lenalee as Lavi came over to her, staring at the grabbling pile.

"What?" asked Lavi.

"Mr. Walker said that he was armed. He was right," she said.

"Where is Allen?" Lavi looked around. Then he spotted the one who had run into the man with the gun. It was Allen.

A bodyguard was helping him to his feet.

"Thank you," said the bodyguard. Allen smiled.

"I didn't know! I just wasn't looking where I was going," he said innocently. The bodyguard smiled at him then looked over at the man. He was now held tightly by some of the other bodyguards.

The other guests were staring at him. The music had stopped.

Lenalee walked forward and looked at him carefully. He glared back.

"Where you after me?" she asked him quietly. Only the bodyguards, the assassin, Allen and Lavi could hear her.

"Yeah," he spat. "I was."

There was a moment of silence and then—

Several screams echoed through the ballroom, coupled with yells of shock and surprise.

The assassin had thrown off the bodyguards. He dropped down quickly and grabbed his gun and fired.

The shot echoed through the room as more people screamed.

Lavi grabbed Lenalee's arm just in time to pull her back. The bullet missed her, only clipping part of her hair as she fell sideways by the force of his jerk and hit Lavi.

There was a shattering sound and more screams as the bullet hit the window. Lavi just saw Allen move forward when he toppled backwards with Lenalee.

There was a yell and a sickening thud that was followed by the sound of the assassin hitting the marble floor.

A silence fell, only broken by a few pieces of glass falling from the window to land with a slight _tinkle_ sound onto the ground.

Lenalee pushed herself up, off of Lavi and looked around.

Scared guests were huddled in the corners. Some had started moving out, staring around.

Lavi, with the help of a pillar, pulled himself off the ground and looked around at Allen.

The boy was standing beside the unconscious assassin with a blank look in his blue silver eyes.

"Y-you got him…" said a guard, picking himself up off the ground and limping over to Allen.

Allen looked at him blankly. "…yeah…"

Lenalee walked over to the boy and the guard.

"Thank you so much Mr. Walker…you saved me and the lives of the others here. I'm so grateful that you were here," she said, bowing slightly. Lavi came over to her.

Miss Lee turned; facing the people in the room as the guards picked up the unconscious assassin.

"Please calm down!" she said. "The threat is over. But for your safety, please go home. The police will be here soon and they can go with you if you wish. Thank you again for coming."

The guests, still shaken, started towards the door. The guards waited until most had gone through then followed. Two held the assassin, now a prisoner, between them.

"Is that proof enough?" asked Allen as everyone else left. Now only Lenalee, Lavi, and the young assassin occupied the large room.

"Yes…yes it is," murmured Lenalee. She was still slightly shocked. She might have gotten shot if Allen hadn't been there. She would be dead because of him, if not her body double. He was good and bad.

And she had the feeling that she had met him before. Long ago or just a year ago she didn't know, but she knew that she had seen him before. She couldn't shake that feeling.

"If its all right, I'll take my leave," said Allen, cutting into Lenalee's thoughts.

Miss Lee stared at him for a moment then nodded. "Yes of course. You can leave…" she told him. He turned and walked through the doors and soon disappeared.

"He's very…interesting," said Lavi, a thoughtful look on his face. He was staring where, moments before, Allen had been.

Lenalee nodded. "Yes…he is."

"We should go," said Lavi. "Get you back home…"

Lenalee nodded again. "You'll come?"

"Oh…sure," Lavi said and followed the girl out to her coach.

ooo

Lenalee walked into one of the lounges at the mansion, Lavi following her. They were both laughing. Lavi had just said something rather funny, and Lenalee couldn't help but laugh.

She stopped at once when she saw a figure already standing inside, looking at a letter that she had written.

"Komui?" she asked. She brushed Lavi's hand off her arm, knowing that her brother would murder him for just touching her.

"Lenalee!" her brother jumped around and walked hurriedly up to her. He hugged her tightly. "I've missed you so much!"

"Komui!" she gasped, pushing back against his hug. "Let go!"

"Sorry, but I missed you!" he said, letting her go. "Oh, hello Lavi."

"Hello Komui," said Lavi, smiling. They shook hands.

"It's good to see you brother…but why're you here?" asked Lenalee, sitting down. She motioned that he should come sit beside her, which he did instantly.

"Do you not want me here? Oh, my sister doesn't want me here!" he said, pouting.

"Stop it," said Lenalee, hitting his arm lightly. "Really…why are you here?"

"…I heard about the attempt on your life," said Komui, his face darkening some. He glanced at Lavi, who had settled down in a chair next to the couch.

Lenalee sighed sadly. "Yes. A couple days ago…it's sad about the poor girl…but I'm glad that I'm still here. And there was another just tonight. But not nearly as good as the first."

Komui's eyes widened behind his glasses. "What?! What happened?" he demanded.

"Someone tried to kill me again," Lenalee said lightly. "But he didn't even hurt _anyone_. Thankfully."

"Do you…know who tried to kill you? The first time I mean. Because I heard about it. It said that at least seven people died, including your body double. Who ever he was, he must've been good," said Komui.

"Yes. I know who tried to kill me," she said simply. Lavi smiled slightly.

Komui stared at her, shifting his glasses. "Who? Did you have him arrested? Is he captured?"

Lenalee sighed. "It doesn't work like that here brother. You've been gone for too long. You've forgotten about the little power the police have. And the assassin is now working for me, so there's no need to worry."

Komui stood, looking down at his sister.

"No need to worry?" his voice had become louder. "My only sister had an attempt on her life and I have 'no need to worry'? This is the perfect time to worry! And then you say that he's now working for you? Doesn't that worry _you_?"

"Komui…"

"What if he kills you? What if he's still working for whoever he was working for?" Komui continued.

"East-West gang," murmured Lavi.

"What?! They're after you! You aren't safe anymore! You have to leave Mancal Willings!" said Komui. He ran a hand through his hair and placed his beret back on his head.

"Komui!" Lenalee said forcefully, cutting her brother off from saying anything more. "You haven't met him. Calm down. I—as silly as this sounds—trust him!"

"You can _trust_ him?" her brother spluttered.

"Calm down Komui," said Lavi. "I've met him too…its really weird. I…trust him too."

Komui took a deep breath. "Ok…we'll see. I'm just worried about you and—" he sat down beside Lenalee again,"—don't want you to get killed."

Lenalee smiled. "I know…I'll be careful…" she said, placing her hand over his. He smiled back at her.


	7. News

"L-Lavi

Lenalee walked to her room, leaving her brother in his. She was aware of Lavi following her silently through the house. When she entered her room, she found that a maid had started a fire.

It was pleasantly warm. Only one light had been lit, her desk lamp, but the fire emanated enough to see clearly. Shadows danced in the corners.

"What do you think of Allen?" asked Lenalee, sitting down on the couch beside the fire. Lavi followed her.

"I wasn't really thinking of Allen at the moment," he replied, sitting beside her. She turned to him, staring at his face. He was smiling. Then she felt a hand close around hers. "I was thinking about you."

"Lavi…" she said quietly, looking into his face.

"Yes..?" he whispered quietly. He had moved closer to her.

Lenalee stayed silent. Lavi slipped closer, pressing his lips to hers lightly. They stayed like that for a few moments, frozen in the kiss but then she pulled away.

"What's wrong?" asked Lavi as she pulled away.

"Just…stop," she said, looking away.

The redhead stared at her. His green eye glittered then he sighed and moved away from her.

"I guess it's not like that any more," he said quietly. "You and me…"

"No its not…I'm sorry Lavi. I just…don't feel that way about you any more," the girl said, looking at him again. He was staring into the fire. "For a while, I thought it was something, but then you left."

"But that wasn't my fault," he said, looking at her again. "It was the old man's fault. And that's no reason to break thi—"

"Lavi, I don't…don't feel the way you feel. I'm sorry. I just don't," Lenalee said, breaking him off.

Lavi turned away sadly. "Yeah. I'm…I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry," she said, placing a hand on his cheek. "I still think of you as my best friend."

He nodded. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him. He hugged her back. Then he broke away and stood.

"I'll leave you to get some sleep," he said, smiling his usual smile. All traces of sadness had been hidden. She nodded and he left the room.

Lenalee sighed sadly then got ready for bed. Today had been trying.

Lavi walked through the house, intent on leaving. He felt different. Now he knew that there was nothing between them. He had been hoping for a long time that maybe, just maybe, they could get back together. But it wasn't so.

"Lavi?" Komui's voice came from a room that the young man was passing. He paused, back tracking slightly, just as the older man opened the door. It had been open an inch or so, letting a strip of light pool on the carpet.

"Hey Komui," he said, grinning. "I was just leaving."

"I see that," he said. "It was good to see you though. I'm glad that you moved back. When you left, Lenalee was sad for a while."

"Really?" Lavi said, surprised. Then he realized that he was on his way _out_. He couldn't stay longer. "Well, I need to be going."

Komui nodded, smiling. "Well, goodnight."

Lavi grinned and walked down the hall then left. Komui watched him go then closed his door with a small click.

ooo

"I didn't ask for you to come," said Tyki, staring at the silver haired young man now standing in front of him.

"Well, I'm here anyway. I wanted to ask what happened to Kanda. What did you do to him?" Allen asked.

"Heh." Tyki grinned and pulled out a cigarette and a match. "Is that it?"

Allen watched the tall man light the match. Smoke wafted from the cigarette as he lit that as well. He stayed silent. Yeah, that was it. But he didn't really know how to say that.

"Look, Mr. Walker," said Tyki, leaning forward so that he was at eye level with the boy. "He has nothing to do with you. Why I came out here, instead of you coming _in_ is above me."

He waved his hand behind him, motioning towards the alleyway.

"Why can't I know?" asked Allen, stepping backwards. He bumped into the wall and Tyki's gold eyes glinted evilly.

"No where to hide," he hissed. "Are you _afraid_ for him? Are you worried about him?" He placed a hand on the wall beside Allen's head and again they were at eye level.

"No. I just wanted…to know what happened to him. I want to know. He attacked me," said the young man, keeping his face blank. He didn't want to give away that inside he was scared of the older man. He could easily hurt Allen.

"Yes he did attack you," said Tyki dangerously, blowing smoke into his face. He straightened up and turned his back on Allen, walking down the alley a little ways then turning.

"Does that mean anything?" asked Allen, watching him carefully.

"Not to you."

"But he attacked _me_," Allen stressed the last bit.

"Yes, it's all about you," he said. "But you don't have to worry about it. This conversation is over."

With that, he gave the boy a dark smirk and walked out of the alley, the cigarette between his fingers.

Allen leaned against the wall with a sigh. What had happened to the assassin after he left with Tyki? Was he well? Or even _alive_?

With that last thought, he walked out of the alley, heading towards his apartment.

He shivered, glancing up at the moon. It shown down brightly, reminding him of something that he couldn't quite put his finger on.

The silver haired 17-year-old shrugged, continuing down the street.

As he past an alley, someone grabbed his arm and tugged hard. He was pulled sideways, slipping on the ice.

Quickly, Allen grabbed the arm that had grabbed him, twisting it around and slamming the person into the wall.

"Damn…" grunted the person and Allen stared at him. With a small gasp, he let the other go.

"Kanda?"

He rubbed his arm. "I just wanted to talk," he hissed.

Allen could see a cut on the other assassin's cheek. He spotted, through the collar of Kanda's shirt, bandage around his collarbone and up to his neck.

"Yeah…sorry," the silver-haired boy said, backing up slightly.

Kanda grimaced, rubbing his wrist. Allen figured that that too was bruised or wrapped.

"Tch…" he muttered. "But…you didn't let your guard down. You're…you're good."

It looked like it was killing him to say that.

"Thanks," said Allen. "What do you want to talk to me about?"

"About yesterday, when I attacked you. And tonight. I saw you with _him_," said the raven-haired young man.

"Yeah," said Allen suspiciously.

"I wasn't really planning on killing you," he said.

Allen raised his eyebrow. "Really? You looked pretty murderous."

"Yeah well…" he paused, thinking. "Doesn't really matter. What were you talking about with _him_?"

"Nothing much," said the silver eyed boy.

"Me?" he hissed.

Allen stayed silent and Kanda took that as a yes.

"Just was wondering what happened to you," he said quietly. His eyes darted to Kanda's face, then to the cut, then to the bandages on his neck.

Kanda's eyes narrowed. "I'm fine. Do I look dead?" he hissed. "Just a bit…beat up."

Allen nodded. "I'll leave you then," he said. Kanda nodded as well.

"Hey, a piece of advice…tread carefully or else your dead meat," Kanda growled and left.

Allen ran a gloved hand through his hair. "At least he's alive," he murmured and continued on his way.

He entered his apartment and lay down, falling asleep at once.

ooo

Lavi sat by his window, staring out at the stormy sky. It had clouded up during the night and now, at noon, snow was falling yet again.

He pulled out the small pocket book bound in brown. Carefully, he opened it to the first page.

"Introduction to Magyk," he read aloud. He flipped through, then paused. There was a key to the written language. He stared at it for a moment.

"I wonder if Allen was telling the truth about that dagger," he murmured. Racking his mind, he quickly wrote what he thought was on the blade. "Let's see here…"

After about ten minutes, Lavi straightened up from the paper. A couple letters had been misplaced, but that was his own fault.

"Yeah, guess he was…" he murmured. It said what Allen had told him it said. But that also meant that this book told the truth. He could translate the language.

But it was very complex. The letters had to be picked carefully, counted. It would have taken him longer, but it was a fairly simple sentence. If it were a whole letter, it would take him a lot longer.

"I should tell Lenalee about this," he said to himself. He folded the paper he had written on into the book then slipped it into his coat pocket and left.

ooo

Lavi found himself at the Lee Mansion. It was a little sooner than he had thought, thinking back to what happened late last night. But he just shrugged, brushing the snow off his shoulders.

Raising a hand, he knocked.

"Coming," said a soft voice.

Which was soon interrupted by a louder one. "No, I'll get it! You stay there!"

Lavi waited, and found himself face to face with Komui. He smiled at the older man.

"Oh, hello Lavi! Back so soon?" he asked. "Come in."

He held the door open, letting the redhead come into the house out of the snow.

"Who is it?" Lenalee's voice came from the lounge.

"Me," said Lavi, entering. Lenalee was sitting by the fire, reading. Her feet were tucked under her in a very unladylike manor.

"Oh, hello Lavi," she said. "What brings you?"

"This," he said, pulling out the book.

"What is it?" she asked.

"It's a book about Magyk…and it has the translation for that language they use. It's _really_ complicated," said Lavi, sitting down.

Lenalee looked interestedly at him. "Really? That's interesting."

ooo

Kanda knocked on the door. It opened to an elderly man with long silver hair.

"May I help you?" he asked.

"Yes, can I come in?" Kanda asked.

"No," said the man flatly.

Kanda didn't seem to care what the man's answer was. He pushed past him into the house.

"I take it that you are…" but his sentence was cut off as the door closed.

­ooo

"That _is_ complicated," said Lenalee. Lavi had just finished explaining the best he could on how the language worked. But he didn't even understand parts of it, and so the puzzle wasn't yet complete.

"Yeah…and I don't even understand this one part, with spells or something like that," said Lavi. He was frowning, frustrated that he didn't understand it all.

Lenalee smiled and laughed lightly. "You were always like this. Always had to understand something fully."

He laughed. "I guess I haven't changed," he said. He flipped through the book, not really looking for anything in particular.

They continued talking. Lavi slipped the book into his pocket and their conversation moved to old habits that they still carried.

An hour or so went by before the redhead glanced at the clock. "Wow, we've been talking a long time."

Lenalee looked at it as well, her eyes widening. "It didn't feel like it," she said.

They both laughed then continued talking.

They hardly noticed a knock on the door. Lavi turned slightly, towards the door of the lounge.

"What's wrong?" asked Lenalee, noticing Lavi pause.

"I heard a knock on the door," he said. They were both silent for a moment, listening.

"Yes?" Komui had opened the door. The two listened. "What? No…no you c-can't come in!"

"Please!" a familiar voice came from the door.

"No! I can't allow you to come in," said Komui. His voice was slightly panicked.

"I can't wait. Please," it sounded a little more desperate. There was a scuffling noise and a small protest then the door slammed.

"Komui?" Lenalee called out. "Who was that?"

Komui came into view, then let out a yelp of surprise, staring at the wide, full-length window. It had been opened.

"I told you I needed to talk," the figure in the window said to Komui. He walked in, trailing snow.

"I told you! Get—"

"Komui! Its _him_," hissed Lenalee. "Please."

Allen pulled back his hood, more snow falling from it.

"That's him!" Komui choked back a yell of surprise.

Allen looked over at Komui. "If I had wanted to _kill_ her, I wouldn't have bothered _asking_ to come in. It would've been rather easy to get in anyway," he said.

Komui's eyes widened in surprise and fear behind his glasses and he took a step back.

"Allen!" snapped Lenalee. "Please stop scaring my brother!"

The youth bowed slightly in apology, his silver hair swishing.

""So, what did you need to talk to me about?" asked Lenalee. Allen turned to her.

"I have news," he said. The three stared at him, waiting for him to continue. "Yeeger is dead."


	8. Dead

Here's the next chapter, chapter 8 for all of you readers. Sorry for talking a week...I wanted to post it faster, but it was a busy week! but i did get around to it finally, and typed it up for you. And figured out how many days have passed. I kind of lost track, but now I'm all ok! So, Read and Review please!

Chapter 8: 5th Day -- Dead

* * *

"Yeegar is dead."

This simple statement caused the three people in front of him to freeze and to stare at him shocked.

"W-what?" asked Lenalee. "Yeegar is…dead?"

Allen's face was blank. He nodded.

"Yeegar? Kevin Yeegar? The old war general?" asked Komui. His eyes were wide behind his glasses. Allen nodded again.

"Why? By who?" Lenalee asked. She stood, walking over to Allen.

Allen kept his face blank. He watched her come over.

"I don't know who. Ordered by Tyki no doubt. He owned part of this city, if I'm correct," explained the silver haired boy. He undid his cloak, letting it open, but still hanging on his shoulders.

"Yes…he did. He was an old family friend as well," said Komui. "But…if you knew, why didn't you stop him?"

Allen gave Komui a hard look. "I don't know what the others do. _He_ doesn't tell me."

"Calm down," said Lenalee. Allen blinked. "Ok…so…General Yeegar is dead. That's very sad. But…we can't let this get in the way. Thank you for telling me this Allen."

"Yes," he said, bowing his head slightly. He buttoned his cloak and pulled his hood over his head.

"Are you leaving already?" asked Lavi. The redhead had stayed silent until now, only because he didn't know Yeegar that well.

Komui and Lenalee looked at Lavi, who glanced between them, then looked back at where Allen had been.

He was gone.

"Damn," he whispered. "Already gone."

"He's mysterious," said Komui. Lenalee nodded and went back to her chair and sat down.

"Poor Yeegar," she said sadly, looking into the fire. "He was such a nice old man…should we call someone?"

"But then they'd ask how you knew," said Lavi.

"Wouldn't matter…they couldn't do anything to me," said Lenalee. "I'll call them."

She got up and left the room, heading for the phone. Lavi watched her go; feeling around in his chest pockets then finally found the small book. He stood.

"I think I should be going," he said, pulling his jacket on and slipping the book into the larger, safer pocket. Komui smiled.

"You've been around here for a bit…I'll talk to you later then. I'll tell Lenalee you left," said Komui. Lavi nodded his thanks and left the room, walking down the hallway and outside.

As he left the mansion gates, he heard someone's voice.

"Who's there?" he asked, looking around. He tensed. No one answered him. He heard footsteps and he quickly grabbed a thick branch that had been knocked down from the snow.

He walked slowly, and turned around a tree.

"Here," said someone.

With a startled yell, he swung. The person caught it in his hand.

"Good job Lavi," said Allen, grinning at him as he held the branch away from his face.

Lavi gave a sigh and let go of the branch. It fell into the snow with a dull thud. Allen stepped out from where he had been standing and shook his hood. Snow cascaded down.

"What were you doing?" asked Lavi as he picked his way back onto the street. There was less snow there.

"Seeing if you would stop," he said, following the older boy. "Just to see."

"Really?" Lavi asked, walking down the street. Allen kept pace with him.

"Yes," he said simply and did not continue. Lavi gave him a sidelong glance, watching the silver haired boy walking beside him. He was younger than Lavi, but he had been through more than the redhead had.

"Hey Allen."

"What?"

"How…how did you _know_ that Yeegar had been killed?" Lavi asked carefully.

Allen stopped and looked at him. "In my job…I know these things," he said cryptically, not giving Lavi any information. Lavi dropped it, not knowing how to ask any more directly.

They had reached town by then. Lavi had paused to button his jacket, because a sharp wind was blowing, and when he looked up, Allen had gone.

Tracks in the snow told Lavi that he had just gone into town.

"Geez…couldn't even say goodbye," said Lavi, heading to his apartment.

ooo

Allen Walker slipped through the streets carefully, making sure not to fall on the ice. He wasn't fond of snow. It kept tracks and was slippery, making it harder to do jobs.

He was heading to the door in the alley. Tyki had finally called him. It had been five days since the death of Yeegar, and Allen had been waiting. Usually it didn't take this long for Tyki to call. But then again, he had never been given a 'second chance'.

Allen wondered if anyone had been given that. Had he been the first one? Probably not. There must've been people who failed their job because of the information the gang leader had given them. He flicked silver hair from his eyes.

He had to think straight. This would be the first time talking to Tyki since Lenalee employed him. Could he tell? He really hoped not. He wondered what would happen if he found out that he was working behind his back.

Pushing that unhappy thought from his mind, he stopped by the door and knocked lightly.

"Ge' in," grunted the doorman, opening the door. Allen nodded and slipped inside. He walked through the tables. Eyes followed him. Of course they did. They always did.

He stopped outside of the lounge, waiting.

"Come in," came Tyki's voice and Allen opened the door.

Silver eyes flickered around the room. At first Allen didn't notice, but then he saw another figure standing off to one side. It was that assassin he had met the day he had seen Kanda.

"Welcome back Mr. Walker," said Tyki, sitting behind his desk. He was smoking, as usual, and Allen vaguely wondered if he ever stopped, but it was pushed away as more pressing issues came up. "Did you like your vacation?"

Allen stayed silent but glanced at Daisya, who again was fiddling with that gold ball.

"He has a job," said Tyki. "Nothing concerning you…well, similar. I have called you here as well because I have a job for you."

The young man tensed.

"No need to be tense. It's not your second chance yet. I'm giving you a breather, an easy little job, just so that you don't get out of practice," said Tyki, handing the boy a picture.

"A breather? And that job was just eight days ago…I don't think I would get out of practice," said Allen. He looked at the picture, but showed no emotion.

Tyki watched him closely. "And I need this person taken out," he said. "I'm letting you regain your senses, so that you don't fail."

The boy nodded to the older man. "Yes sir," he said.

"Now…you may go. You have all the information," he said. Allen nodded and backed out of the room.

He walked through the tables then into the alley once more. A moment later, the door opened yet again and Daisya came out.

"Good luck," he said, glancing up at the sky. He glanced at the picture he held, then pushed it into his pocket before Allen could see who it was.

"Thanks," said Allen. He noticed the sky was gray. Why did the weather always decide to do something when he had a job? It looked to be more snow, or, if it warmed up enough, rain.

"Nice talkin'," said the older assassin, grinning. He reminded Allen of Lavi a little. It was slightly odd. But he just nodded to the other man and walked away. Daisya followed him out of the alley but turned the opposite direction.

Allen glanced back. The young man was holding the gold ball, his hood hiding his head.

Once he was out of site of the building and the other assassin, he pulled the picture out once more. It was an older man.

"What threat is he?" he murmured to himself. He knew where he could find this person. He figured that it he was just important. Allen himself had heard of the old man who had figured out how to make a living doll out of magyk.

He wouldn't be too hard. The silver-eyed boy walked down the street. He thought he lived in a house a little ways from town. He didn't like town, the papers said, and kept to himself. That's where Allen would find him. And he wouldn't be found for a while after.

Soon the boy reached the small cottage on the outskirts of town. He looked at it. It was a rather cozy looking house. He stared for a moment then shook his head.

He walked up to the door and knocked lightly.

Allen stood there for a minute or so before it was pulled open by a young girl with very long blonde hair. That must be the doll.

"Is Guzol here?" asked the silver haired boy politely to the girl.

She looked at him a moment, then glanced back into the house. "Guzol, there's someone to see you…do you want to see them?"

"I'll see them Lala," came a wizened voice and an old man appeared next to the girl. He coughed, holding the door. The girl, Lala, looked at him with concern.

"What do…you need?" he asked.

Allen stared at him. "Just a moment of your time," he said.

"About what?" asked Lala.

He looked apologetic and the two wondered why. This young man had come to their house out of no where, and now he looked sorry.

"What is it?" asked the old man.

Without another word, Allen pulled his gun and fired once at the old man. The girl screamed his name as the man fell backwards then she turned to the silver haired boy.

"I'm sorry," he murmured and before she could do anything, he shot her as well.

She stared at him for a moment, shocked, then fell next to the man. Allen closed his eyes for a moment. That had been too easy.

He opened them again and stared at the two. The old man was lying on his back, the girl beside him. Then she stirred. She moved, just slightly and reached out and took the mans' hand.

"He's…dead," she whispered, tears down her cheeks. The bullet hadn't killed the doll. Then she looked up at Allen from the ground. "Kill me…"

It took nothing more than a twitch of the finger, and the light in the dolls' eyes faded forever. Allen turned, glancing at the sky. It had started snowing again.

He walked, leaving the two dead and the door open. The snow would fall and drift inside, covering them in a thin blanket of white softness. And then someone would go to check on the old man, and find him dead. And find the doll dead as well.

"That wasn't a job at all," he whispered, coming back into town. He touched his gun lightly. The metal was cold, even through his jacket. That's all he was. A monster used to kill by the holder, which was Tyki.

He couldn't bend against the orders of the holder, but he had. He _had_ bent the orders. And suddenly, Allen's eyes widened as he walked through the streets.

What he had just realized was that he had bent the orders, he had turned on the holder. He was no longer a puppet, as he had been for so long. But Allen didn't know if he could defeat the gang leader. He highly doubted it.

Allen walked to his apartment, wondering when someone would find the two who had just died. As he entered the building and climbed the stairs, he felt something inside him stir.

It was angry. The shadow. It wanted out…it didn't like that he had broken the orders. It was hungry. It wanted blood. And he wondered how long he could restrain it.

ooo

Komui looked out of the shop window. He had been looking for a gift—a little late—for Lenalee.

It was getting dark and he wondered if he should head back. It was snowing as well, making everything a dull gray. He said thank you to the storeowner and walked from the shop.

Pulling his jacket around him more tightly, he looked through the night.

A row of street lamps lit the way, giving an orange glow in the dark. He could see his breath coming out in clouds.

He wondered if he should get a carriage then decided to walk. It was nice, even though it was cold and he had had enough of carriages for a while. The trip there had been rather long.

He started walking towards the mansion. As he neared it, the snow slowed.

Komui was getting near, when he heard something behind him. He turned, looking through the darkness and gray. The snow had almost stopped completely by now.

"Hello?" he called out, looking around nervously. He knew that it was dangerous in this city. But maybe he was just being paranoid. It could've just been a cat.

No one answered his call, which echoed off the building near him. He squinted slightly behind his glasses then shrugged and continued walking. His feet where getting cold.

_How late is it? It couldn't be that late…but no one's on the streets_, he thought. His paranoid mind was getting the best of him. _It's just a cat!_

Then he heard a louder noise and he could tell that it was footsteps. Defiantly not a cat. He walked faster down the street, then went into an alley and waited for a moment.

The sound stopped. Komui started edging down the alley carefully. It was open at the end. He could just go around. Then he heard running footsteps.

With a startled yelp, the older man started running. The footsteps grew louder. He glanced behind him. He couldn't see anyone.

Not looking where he was going, he crashed into a trashcan. He stumbled, not falling, but turned.

The footsteps stopped again, but he still couldn't see where the person was hiding. They could be hiding behind that small shed. Or those trashcans. But something told him that the person wasn't hiding.

He turned slowly, looking down the alley carefully.

And he was hit in his back with something hard with such force that it broke the skin and he fell forward, crashing to the ground.

Heavy boots landed beside him as he pulled his head up. The hard something that had hit him…they were boots. He had just been kicked in the back. How had this happened?

But that didn't matter. He needed to run. He could only see the person's boots and cloak. He couldn't look up any more.

Scrabbling, Komui tried to run. He slipped on the ice, but got a little distance between the one who had kicked him. But they were faster than he was and kicked his feet out from under him.

"Ah!" with a yell, he slipped, falling over. He slid on the ice, knocking into the wall. His head rang and his back was throbbing painfully.

"What do you want?" he asked the person who had walked over to him. He could see a small smile on their lips.

"Sorry, just a job," they said.

Komui stared. An assassin. Why where they coming after _him_? He felt panic rising inside him. How could he get away?

He watched the hooded figure pull something from under their cloak. It glinted in the dull light of a street lamp that seemed so far away. It was a gun.

Adrenaline rushed into him, even more than before, and Komui managed to get to his feet with the help of the wall. He slipped again on the ice but then ran as fast as he could.

He heard the man shout behind him and the gun fired. It hit him in the shoulder and he fell forward in pain. Running footsteps came closer but Komui pulled himself up again and ran.

Then the man hit Komui in the back once more in a powerful kick that send him slipping over the ice. He couldn't stop sliding, and then the ground changed. It was dirt. Where had the street gone?

The one behind him spun around just as Komui turned, and kicked him in the stomach hard. He heard something crack as he did so and pain exploded in his chest.

And then he felt the ground under his feet disappear. He was falling backwards. He hit the steep cliff-like slope and rolled.

With a crash, he hit the bottom, landing halfway into water, His head collided with a stone and he was knocked unconscious.

The assassin looked down with slightly scared eyes. He was about to see if he was dead when voices came from a small house by the side of the slope.

"What was that?"

"I don't know…I heard a gun shot though!"

"Let's go look!" said the first.

Daisya backed up quickly, into the alley. He scaled the small shed and stood there, waiting.

"There's a man down there!" called one. The assassin could see two figures standing at the top. Then one started down the slope towards Komui Lee.

"Damn it all," he murmured. He was white. He knew what would happen…what was going to happen. Just didn't know how. "I'm dead."

* * *

So, now we are on the 10th day. Just to tell everyone. We started out with the 5th, and ended with the 10th. Yes. Anyways. Please review! Tell me what you think!


	9. Nightmare

A/N: Here's the next chapter for you. All typed up and purdy. Next chapter will have more stuff in it. Hope you like this one though. No real action...I don't own D.Gray-Man

Chapter 9 : Day 11 -- Nightmare

* * *

_Lightning flashed overhead as Lenalee walked through the large house, carrying a small candle in its holder. She had had a nightmare and she was scared of the thunder and lightning so she was going to see if her parents were still awake._

_She padded through the dark house on bare feet. It was cold._

_The young girl thought of her brother. Maybe he could help. But she didn't want to wake him up. She was getting near her parents' room and to her joy she saw a flicker of light coming from the mostly closed door. _

_She was just about to reach the door when thunder crashed overhead and she jumped, letting out a small yelp. She clung to the doorknob and the candle as it's roar died down. _

"_M-Mommy?" she whispered, opening the door a little. _

_She couldn't see her parents there by the light of the oil lamp sitting on the desk. But she did see a tall figure standing in the middle of the room. _

_He held something long and silver in his hand, glinting with red. His figure was shrouded with shadows and she couldn't make out his face. Then she saw something on the floor. _

_It was her mother and father. _

_She let out a small scream and dropped the candle, her grip tightening on doorknob. The man turned and saw her. She saw a haunting smile light up his face, his eyes flashing. _

_Lenalee screamed. The man gave her one more ghostly, wicked smile. The lightning flashed and he was gone. _

_People were running towards where the young girl was standing, screaming. They opened the door and stared. A maid screamed as well. People where yelling. Thunder crashed outside. Black turned white and everything was reversed._

Lenalee sat bolt upright in bed, covered in cold sweat. She had uttered a small cry before waking from her nightmare.

She was shaking, her heart pounding. Slowly it went down, but she kept her hold on the blanket.

And as she tried to remember what the man looked like, it slipped away like smoke. She wondered why she was dreaming of that _now_ when eight years had past, then she shivered.

The girl felt a cold breeze across her face and she looked over at the window. It was open.

Her eyes widened in fear, her mind still thinking of the dream as she saw the silhouette of someone standing in the large window.

Then she spotted a flash of silver hair.

"A-Allen?" she whispered, standing up. The wind played with her nightgown and it fluttered.

He walked into her room, pulling off his hood. "I'm sorry to come so late…" he said. Lenalee stared at him, still shaking slightly.

"I-its ok," she said.

"You look…distressed," he said. The boy looked like he was holding something back, like there was something he wasn't telling her. She didn't notice. Not yet.

She shook it off. "Just a bad dream…What happened? Why did you come? I haven't talked to you in little less then a week and now you come in the middle of the night."

"I have…news," he said.

"Bad news? Good news?" she asked, walking closer. He stood there, his cloak billowing slightly. The thought that her room was on the second floor didn't even enter her mind. The moon shown brightly in the empty sky behind him.

"I just found that—"

But before he could complete his sentence, someone came bursting into the room. It was the maid. Lenalee jumped slightly and Allen backed up.

"Miss! You're brother! He's been in an—an—miss?!" she stopped, seeing Allen lurking in the corner.

"What is it?" Lenalee snapped.

"That's why I'm here," said Allen, stepping forward. The maid shrank back. He looked intimidating.

"What happened? Someone tell me!" she demanded.

Allen glanced at the maid, but she was frozen. "Tyki sent an assassin after your brother."

Lenalee stared at him for a moment.

"That's what I was going to tell you miss! You're brother was almost killed and he's in the hospital!" the maid said, regaining her tongue.

Lenalee stood, staring at the maid with wide eyes. Then her legs gave way.

The maid let out a cry of "Miss!" as she collapsed but before she could move, Allen had grabbed her, catching her before she fell.

"I have…I have to go!" said the girl, pushing away from the young man. He tried to hold her back.

"No! Miss Lee, you're too shaken!" he said.

She turned and glared at him. "You can't tell me what to do!" she said angrily, tears rolling down her cheeks. "It's my brother!"

And with that, she pushed away from Allen. She got a couple feet away before she collapsed once more. And again the silver haired boy caught her. This time she leaned against him.

"Miss Lee, you have to stay here," he said.

The maid, who had kept quiet as she watched, spoke up once more. "I got the call but the doctor said that no one could see him! They wouldn't let you in, even if you left right now Miss. It's best if you wait…"

"I have to go though! My brother—he could be dying and you—hold—me—back!" she pounded slightly on Allen's chest. He held her, letting her hit him weakly with balled fists.

"Miss Lee…Miss Lee…" he murmured. She didn't listen, just continued to hit him. Her legs weren't strong enough to hold her, and so she leaned against him.

"Lenalee!" he finally said forcefully.

She stopped instantly, staring up at him with wide eyes. Tears continued to roll down her cheeks.

Lenalee saw his silver eyes, and they were calm and cool, with something like worry hidden behind it all. And as she fell into the depths of those silver oceans, she felt herself calm slightly.

And he had used her first name. Had he ever done that before? She couldn't remember. The terror of her dream was still there, lurking inside her, along with the fear she had for her brother. She couldn't leave him alone. She had to go!

"Is there anything I can do to help Miss?" asked the maid.

Lenalee didn't hear her at first. Then she shook her head and looked over at the maid.

"C-call…call L-Lavi," she managed to say shakily. The maid nodded and hurried away instantly.

"Sit down Miss Lee," said Allen. He had reverted back to her last name.

She swallowed and nodded, but couldn't walk on her own, so the assassin helped her to her bed. As he did so, she felt something rise inside her that she hadn't felt for a very long time. She stared up at him as they made it across the room, her mind calming as she watched him.

He glanced down at her and she looked away. Allen helped her sit and she sat, holding the blankets tightly, staring at the floor.

The maid hurried back in. "I called him. He'll be here as soon as he can."

Lenalee nodded, looking up from staring at the floor. For the past minute or so, she had been taking deep, soothing breaths to keep herself from throwing up or passing out.

"I'll leave you," said the boy.

"No!" Lenalee said sharply, desperately. He looked back at her, an odd look on his face. "P-please…stay here until Lavi c-comes at least."

He watched her carefully, then nodded. Allen walked back over to where she sat slowly.

Inside, the shadow purred its approval.

The maid walked from the room once more to wait for Lavi, leaving Lenalee and Allen alone. He was looking out of the open window at the grounds. The draperies fluttered in the wind, and the sky was clear.

"He's here," murmured Allen. He was still staring outside. Lenalee could see nothing when she glanced up, but tears clouded her vision.

A minute or so later Lavi appeared.

"Lavi!" she called out and got up. He hurried over to her and she almost fell into his arms.

"Komui's in the hospital? How'd this happen?" asked Lavi, holding Lenalee as she sobbed into his shoulder.

"Tyki sent an assassin," said the young man standing in the shadows. Lavi looked up, surprised. He hadn't noticed Allen standing there.

"Allen!" he said. The silver eyes were slightly guarded.

"I must leave," he said and headed for the window. "I'm sorry."

"W-wait! Alle—" Lenalee stopped. She had turned just in time to see Allen's cloak disappearing out of the window. She rushed over, Lavi following in case she fell.

"He just jumped!" she whispered, watching the black figure walk swiftly across the snow and out of her grounds.

Lavi stood watching Allen walk away. "Lenalee, get back to bed…we'll g-go see your brother tomorrow, ok?"

She nodded, gripping the window frame. "L-Lavi, c-can you…help me?" she asked weakly. He nodded and helped her walk over to her bed.

"Sleep well…I'll stay here," he said as she tucked in. She nodded and closed her eyes. Lavi sat besides her, watching her fall asleep. It took no more than five minutes before her breathing slowed and she was asleep.

"Goodnight Lenalee…" he murmured. He closed the window before leaving. He would stay here for the night, he thought. Lenalee wouldn't mind. She probably would want him here.

ooo

Sunlight filtered through the window, waking Lenalee. Her eyes flickered open and she sat up slowly. She wondered why she felt so horrible, then remembered and burst into tears.

Then she pulled her face from her hands and wiped her eyes.

"Pull yourself together," she said aloud. "He's not dead! He isn't! They would've called, wouldn't they?"

She got up slowly and walked over to the window. The sky was bright blue, the ground bright white. The sun shown happily in the blue bird sky.

"It looks so peaceful," she murmured. Lenalee decided that she would call the doctor, see if Komui was all right and find something to calm her nerves. She glanced outside the window, down at the pond.

She pulled on a winter dress, white and blue, with warmer layers, then hurried downstairs.

"Miss! You're up already?" asked the maid, surprised. She held a tray with a teapot and several biscuits.

"Who are those for?" Lenalee asked the maid.

"Mister Lavi," the maid answered. "I think that he would be hungry."

"He's here?" she asked. The maid nodded. "I'll go see him after I call the…the doctor."

The maid nodded. "I'll tell him that." And she hurried off towards the guestroom with her tea.

Lenalee went to the telephone and dialed the hospital.

"Mancal Willings Hospital, how may I direct your call?" a female voice said on the other end of the receiver.

"This is Lenalee Lee. My brother was taken in yesterday and I'm calling to see if…if he was all right," Lenalee said, slightly choked.

"Yes miss, right away. I'll get the doctor who is taking care of him right away," she said hurriedly and she was put on hold. It was several minutes before someone came back onto the line.

"Miss Lee?" a male voice asked.

"Yes?" she asked.

"This is the doctor who's working with your brother," he said.

"I-is he alright?" she asked shakily.

The doctor was silent for a moment and she could hear the sound of papers being flipped. He was looking at the file. "Mr. Lee is in stable condition, I'm glad to say. We were able to stabilize his vital signs and patch him up some. But it will take some time for him to heal completely."

"What injuries did he have?" asked Lenalee, gripping the telephone tightly.

"A fractured skull, bullet wound in the shoulder and two broken ribs. He also has bruises on his back and upper body…but we're almost absolutely sure that he has no internal bleeding," said the doctor.

Lenalee was shaking slightly. "Th-thank you sir," she said. "P-please call me if something happens."

"Yes miss, of course," he said. "Hang in there."

She made a small 'yes' noise and hung up the phone. She stood there, hand on the receiver for several minutes, head bowed. Then she took a ragged breath. He was alive, that's all that mattered. And he was still breathing. He was going to pull through.

Straightening her dress, she headed for the guestroom. She met the maid halfway there.

"Mr. Lavi is in the lounge," she said, carrying the tray she had had with her earlier.

"Thank you," she said and turned, heading towards the lounge. When Lenalee entered, she saw Lavi sitting on a chair by the fire, reading a book. "Lavi?"

He looked up and smiled, closing the book as he sat up.

"How's Komui?" he asked her. She smiled weakly and sat down on the couch beside him.

"H-he's…stable, that's what the doctor said," she said. "So he's going to live."

He gave a sigh of relief. "That's great news!" he said, smiling happily. She nodded, sighing.

"I…need some time…alone," she said. She got up. "Just…for a bit."

She left the room. Lavi watched her; still smiling then opened his book and continued to read.

ooo

Lenalee pushed off and slid across the ice gracefully, continuing around in steady strokes. The ice was smooth, perfect, frozen. She skated across, then spun, landing.

A figure watched her silently, sitting in the lower branches of a nearby tree. One leg folded under him, the other hanging down, he watched with a slight yearning that he had never known before.

Lenalee continued to skate, until a voice interrupted her.

"You always did love to ice-skate," came Lavi's voice from the bank and she turned to see him standing there. He was inches from the ice.

"And you always feared coming onto it," she teased, skating nearer to him.

"I don't _fear_ ice! I just…don't _like_ it," he said.

"This reminds me how we met," commented Lenalee, skating close to him. He stared at her.

"How's that? I forget…" he said, but he was smiling.

"You'll have to come out here if you want to know," she said, skating backwards. He glared playfully at her.

"That's not very nice!" he said, but he took a step forward onto the ice.

"Just be careful," she said, skating in a large circle as Lavi made his way onto the ice.

He walked slowly onto the frozen water, wobbling on uneasy feet. Slowly, he made his way out nearer to the center. Then Lenalee came up behind him and pushed him lightly.

"Whoa!" Lavi let out a yell and his feet flew out from under him. He fell backwards and landed on his back on the ice. Lenalee came over to him, looking down at him, a hand covering her mouth.

"I'm sorry Lavi! I didn't think you would fall like that!" she said. She crouched down so that her arms were around her legs and she peered down at him.

He grinned up at her, winded. "Its…ok," he said in a hoarse voice, pushing himself up into a sitting position. "I'll…live."

"I'm sorry Lavi!" she repeated.

"Well, this deserves a story. You owe me," Lavi said, grinning. He still looked slightly winded. She smiled at him and slid sideways, sitting with her legs to one side.

"Ok, fine," she said.

The figure sitting in the tree shifted slightly, ever so slightly. He could hear the two on the ice talking quite clearly and settled against the trunk, his head bowed.


	10. Past Events

A/N: Whew...here's chapter 10. This one took a long time to write, oddly enough. I don't know why. Sorry for taking so long. But here it is! Hope you like it! Please R&R I don't own DGM

Chapter 10: Day 11 continued -- Past Events

* * *

"How old were we?" asked Lenalee, before starting the story.

"I was nine, so you were seven," said Lavi. Lenalee smiled.

"Ok…" she started her story.

ooo

11 years ago

ooo

A young girl stood by her parents. She looked around the small house. It was much smaller than hers was, but her parents had told her not to say anything about that.

The old man was talking to them. And then he turned to her. "He's out getting firewood, so I don't know when he'll be back. He talks a long time," he told her.

Lenalee nodded. She had wanted to meet the old man's grandson, who was two years older than she was. But if he wasn't here at the moment, she didn't want to stay here and listen to her parents and the old man talk.

Grownup talk was really boring, and she didn't understand it anyway. But she had brought her skates. That's what she would do! She had seen a pond.

"Mommy, can I go skate on the pond?" she asked, pulling on the sleeve of her mother.

The woman looked down at her daughter. "If it's ok with Bookman, then you may. Can you ask him?"

Lenalee nodded and turned to the old man. "Can I ice-skate on the pond?" she asked.

He nodded. "Of course. Just be careful," he said.

"I'm always careful," she said and headed for the door, holding her ice-skates.

"Don't go in the middle, hunny," said her mother. Lenalee nodded and opened the door. Outside, the blue bird sky was clear and the snow glistened in the sun.

She picked her way through the deep white powder and finally reached the pond. Lenalee looked around, then spotted a rock that she could sit on and made her way over to it.

The young girl pulled off her shoes and put the ice-skates on and stood. She looked around for a moment, watching a bird flying across the sky. It landed on the branch of a snow-covered pine and made a small call.

"Here we go," said Lenalee and pushed herself off the shore and onto the ice. For a moment she wobbled, then she gained her footing and skated around the edge of the pond.

She loved to ice-skate. She could be free, normal, like a normal girl. She knew she wasn't though. Her parents owned most of the town, but she didn't like to think of that. She liked to think of skating.

Lenalee stopped herself and gazed out into the center. It looked frozen, and it was no fun just to go around the edges. She wanted to skate into the center. Her mother's words came back to her, but she just brushed them off.

She had skated in the center of her pond many times, she would be fine.

This time she turned and started skating directly into the center. She went faster, her hair trailing behind her. Turning sharply, she stopped herself at the other bank.

"Nothing happened! I knew it," said the girl and skated across again, this time doing large figure eight's, spinning. She stopped and held onto a branch that hung low above the ice.

Then she pushed herself off again and continued skating.

She was in the middle when she heard a young voice.

"Hey! What're you doing on the pond?" asked the voice and she stopped herself easily and turned. A young boy stood on the bank, dragging a large stick through the snow. His boots were caked with snow under his poncho.

"I'm skating, what does it look like I'm doing?" she told him, skating in a circle.

"Are you Lenalee?" he asked her, dropping his stick and brushing the bright orange hair from his face. She turned and gasped, covering her mouth. One eye was covered in a black eye patch.

He just stood there, not saying anything.

Finally the girl regained herself. "Yeah," she said, nodding. "Are you Lavi?"

He nodded.

"My parents are visiting your grampa," said Lenalee.

"I know. He told me a girl was coming with them. But what are you doing out in the middle of the pond? Its dangerous!" he said. He took a step closer, but didn't go onto the ice.

"Are you scared of the ice?" she asked him, skating up to him.

"Of course not!" he said quickly.

"Well then, come out here," she said tauntingly. She turned swiftly and ice-skated around the pond.

"But…its dangerous!" he called to her again, picking up his stick. She was all the way across the pond by now.

"Scary cat!" she called. Lenalee skated straight across, launching herself off the ice. She was in the air for a moment and then landed. Lavi was about to get onto the ice when an enormous crack echoed around the pond at the exact moment she landed.

"Watch out!" he cried.

Lenalee let out a shrill scream as the ice beneath her broke, and she was plunged into the icy water.

"HELP ME!" she screamed, trying to hold onto the slippery edge. She couldn't get a solid grip though and was slowly slipping into the water.

Lavi forgot about his fear of the ice. He scrabbled across, slowing down as he neared her. What could he do?

"Lavi! Please…help me!" she cried. Tears were rolling down her cheeks. "I can't get out!"

The boy stood there a moment, his mind racing, trying to think of ways to get her out. He was leaning heavily on that large stick. And then it came to him. He got down onto the ice and pushed one end of the slender piece of wood towards the girl.

She reached for it. The first time she missed grabbing it. But the second time she got it.

"Pull Lavi!" she cried.

Lavi pulled as hard as he could. She was heavier than he had thought, and he couldn't get a grip on the ice. But he continued pulling, and he could tell that he was pulling her out, slowly.

With his help, she got one leg out and was able to get the other out. Lavi was still pulling and they slid across the ice towards the bank, away from the hole in the middle.

The boy was shaking. He had been able to save her. He didn't want to think of what would've happened if he hadn't been able to pull her free of the icy water.

Then he looked over at the girl. She was shivering violently. Without thinking, he pulled his poncho off and wrapped it around her.

"We need to get home," he said. Forgetting the stick, they started up towards the house. Lavi grabbed her shoes as they passed.

When they reached it, Lavi opened the door.

"Grampa!" he called. The old man looked around from talking to Lenalee's parents.

"Lavi, don't be rude, we were talking," he chided.

"But Lenalee!" he said. The girl had walked in, shivering. Her hair was slicked back from the water that had splashed up.

"Oh my God, Lenalee!" her mother rushed over to her…

And Lavi watched them…

ooo

In the Present

ooo

"Wow…we had quite an adventure, didn't we?" asked Lavi as Lenalee finished her story. She laughed lightly.

"And I was sick for two weeks…but thank you Lavi. You saved me," she said, smiling.

"What, you expect me to leave you in the middle of the pond?" said Lavi. "I would never do that!"

"It must be nice…to have known each other for so long," a voice interrupted the two.

They looked around sharply from where they sat on the ice and saw the figure who had been watching them all this time. They hadn't noticed him there.

"Who is that?" asked Lavi, standing up. Lenalee did as well, watching wearily.

The young man jumped from the branch of the tree and landed gracefully on the ice.

"Allen!" both of them said, surprised.

"I couldn't help but listen," he said, walking over to them. He didn't slip once as he walked over the ice.

"Why were you here anyway?" asked Lenalee.

He looked at her with silver eyes. "I wanted to see you," he said, "and to make sure no one tries to kill you again."

Lenalee's heart beat faster. He had wanted to see her again. Why was she so nervous around him now? She blushed slightly. He didn't notice.

"Yeah…we've known each other for a long time," said Lavi. He hadn't caught the first part of what Allen had said.

"I envy you," said Allen.

"Why? Did you not have friends when you were little?" asked Lenalee. Allen looked over at her.

"I was an apprentice for a long time. I couldn't have friends, and if I ever had one, my mentor wouldn't be happy, so I stopped trying," the silver haired boy explained.

Lavi and Lenalee looked at each other, slightly uncomfortable.

And again, Lenalee felt something inside her, like she had seen Allen before, long ago. But she couldn't remember where.

"What was your past like Allen?" asked Lavi. "Like, you don't have to say, but…I'm just curious. What made you become an assassin?"

Allen looked over at the redhead, thinking. "A couple things…but…can we get off the ice if I'm going to tell you about them?"

Lenalee nodded. "Of course," she said and skated to the edge. Lavi followed more slowly, almost slipping twice. Allen was last and Lenalee watched him. He was very steady on his feet.

They reached the small bench on the edge of the pond and all sat down. Allen sat at the very edge, a little ways away from Lenalee and Lavi.

"So…" said Lavi, looking at Allen, who turned to look at them.

"I was abandoned by my real parents when I was…five, I think," he started bluntly. Lenalee's eyes widened.

"Why?" asked Lavi.

"Because of an…abnormality that they despised. Well, then a man called Mana came and rescued me from the streets and took care of me," he told them. They became silent. "But that tale, of Mana and me, would take too long."

"But he took care of me, and then he died," said Allen.

"He…died?"

Allen nodded. "I…don't know what happened. I was with him when he died. I got this—" he motioned to his scar "—when it happened."

"And then I was alone again, but not for long. Another man, Cross, came along. He was my mentor until three years ago. He taught me to be an assassin. I wish he hadn't…" the silver haired boy closed his eyes, clenching his fist. "But it's too late. That's what I am now."

Lenalee and Lavi stayed silent.

"It was hard…but eventually my master said that I could go on my own. He gave me this," he said, pulling out the dagger from its holder. Lavi stared at it. He had seen that blade before. And it had had blood on it before. Now it was clean and silver.

He slid it back into its holder. "And I came here…and then one day someone came to me. An older man. He had heard that I was an Assassin. I didn't know how. But he wasn't there to get me. He was there to ask if I would work for him. He wanted to see how good I was."

"The first job Tyki gave me was hard. But I got it…and he gave me the money, and the job of top assassin. Sometimes he would get others. But no more than two at a time, and counting me, just one other."

"But…doesn't he have more?" asked Lavi. "I mean…you, and that guy, Kanda…and the person who attacked Komui. Does that mean that Kanda attacked Komui?"

Allen looked up at him. "Kanda wasn't the one who attacked Mr. Lee. If it were Kanda, he would be dead. And only he would be…"

"He that good? But why didn't he get killed?" asked Lavi. Lenalee couldn't talk.

"Because the assassin didn't want to get caught. He ran. There were people there…and he was panicking," said Allen. "If it were Kanda, he wouldn't have reached the place where people were standing…if it were me…"

"If it were you to get the job?" Lavi asked.

"Then there would have been three more deaths," said Allen flatly.

Lenalee blanched.

"But it wasn't me…and the assassin whose job it was will be facing Tyki," said Allen.

"Can we go see him?" asked Lenalee suddenly to Lavi. "I want to see my brother."

Allen watched them carefully.

"I don't know. We should go in and call…see if we can see him," said Lavi. "Come on."

Lenalee and Lavi started back. Allen watched them and then followed. Inside the two took off their jackets, but Allen kept his on. Then Lenalee went to the telephone and dialed the hospital.

Allen and Lavi waited in the lounge silently until Lenalee came in.

The girl looked very happy. "We can go see him!" she said, excitedly. "They said that he was better than yesterday, and that he can handle visitors."

"Let's go then," said Lavi.

"Wait…I'll be back in a moment. I have to change cloths," she said and hurried off.

"I should leave," said Allen, started toward the door.

"Wait Allen," said Lavi. "Come with us."

"I'm an assassin…its not right," he said.

"You came and told her. She would want you to come. Didn't you notice that look that she gave you earlier?" Lavi asked. Allen stared at him blankly.

"I take that as a no," said Lavi. "Never mind."

At that moment, Lenalee returned. She held a small bag in her hand, her purse, and a warm coat.

"Come on. Allen, you'll be coming with us?" she asked as the two young men followed her. Allen sighed.

"Yes," he said. She smiled and they headed out.

ooo

They were half way to the hospital when someone grabbed Allen's arm. The assassin turned quickly, staring at the one who grabbed him.

Then he glanced up to Lenalee and Lavi. They were far enough away, talking. They wouldn't notice.

"What are you doing here?" he hissed to Daisya. The young man looked totally panicked.

"Help me! _Please_!" he said.

Allen glanced again at the two. They had stopped in front of a store window, talking and looking at the wears.

"I_can't_ help you Daisya," Allen said to him quietly. He pulled his arm from the older assassin's grip. "I can't stop Tyki from doing whatever he does."

"What does he do?" asked the assassin weakly.

"I don't know, I haven't seen him do anything to _any_one. But I know he _could_ if he wanted to. You know that too…" Allen said.

"But…please!" he pleaded, grabbing Allen's arm again.

"I can't! Don't you understand?" Allen said. He looked over at the two again. They had appeared not to have noticed. "I'm not strong enough to stand up against Tyki."

Daisya paused, thinking. "Just…can't you help me?" he asked.

"No. I'm sorry! I would, if I could. But there's nothing I could do to stop him," he said.

"He likes you the best! He might listen to you! You're his favorite! Please!" Daisya looked at him with a panicked gaze. He was slightly dazed.

"No he wouldn't," said Allen.

Lavi glanced back and noticed Allen talking to an older young man. He had grabbed Allen's arm, and looked very scared. He wondered who he was.

"Hey Lenalee," Lavi said. She looked at him and he pointed over to Allen and the other young man.

She looked at them with curiosity, watching Allen talk rapidly to him.

"Run," Allen said. "Just run…"

"He would find me," said Daisya.

Allen nodded. He knew that. But he didn't know what he could do. He couldn't do anything.

"That's what happens when you fail," said Allen darkly. Daisya stared at him. "Look…look over there—" he pointed to Lenalee and Lavi, who had turned to talk, away from the two. "—That girl is the sister of the man you tried to kill."

Daisya stared at her, then looked back at Allen. "Are you with them?" he asked and for a moment forgot about what trouble he was in.

"I'm watching them," he said quietly. Daisya nodded then flinched back into his panicked state.

"Why can't you help me?" he said, and his voice had risen slightly.

"Shut up Daisya," a dark voice came from behind the assassin. Allen looked over his shoulder and saw Kanda.

"What're you doing here?" Allen asked.

Kanda ignored him and grabbed Daisya's arm. "You're stupid…you want that girl to find out that you almost killed her brother?"

"Help me Kanda," he pleaded.

"I can't. Haven't you listened to what Moyashi has said to you?" he growled, glancing at Allen.

Allen took a step from them and looked over at Lenalee and Lavi. They had traveled a bit farther down the street, but he had a feeling that they had finally noticed.

"I'm sorry Daisya…I can't help you," he said. Daisya stared at him.

"Please?"

"Shut up Daisya…" Kanda growled. "And…sorry." His tone had softened slightly. "I have to take you to him."

"No! Please! Kanda, please! I've known you since we were ten, you can't do this to me!" he said.

Kanda closed his eyes.

"He can't do anything," said Allen. "Tyki's stronger than all of us…"

"Come on," said Kanda. He started pulling Daisya. At first he struggled and then he stopped and followed Kanda. He looked defeated, totally defeated. He knew he couldn't get away.

Allen watched as the two walked through the crowd, feeling despair in his heart. But the creature, that evil shadow, snarled angrily at him. Pity? Why did he show pity? He was an assassin.

"Stop it," muttered Allen as he walked up the street to Lavi and Lenalee. But he wondered what would happen. He had known that some of the assassins before him. And then something happened, and they disappeared.

He wondered as he caught up with the two, who just glanced at him, then at each other and said nothing, knowing that he wouldn't tell them.

_What's going to happen to him?_

* * *

Hope you liked this latest installment of Assassin. Hope you review! _  
_


	11. Tortured

A/N: Chapter 11 up! This almost killed me to write this. Warning: Torture and death included in this chapter.

Chapter 11: Day 12 -- Tortured

* * *

Allen stared at his wall. The hole was still there. That he had made…how many days ago was that? A little less then two weeks ago.

He had seen Mr. Lee. He was sitting up in bed, looking battered, but otherwise alive. Lenalee had been so happy. Lavi looked happy as well. Allen had slipped out of the room, leaving them to privacy.

It was 12 o'clock.

He couldn't get to sleep. He couldn't get the image of Daisya getting led away by Kanda…what would happen to him?

There was a knock on the door and Allen looked over at it. He really needed one of those little eyeholes, so that he could see who was out there. He pulled himself up off the chair and walked over.

"Yes?" he asked, without opening the door.

"Open the door," growled a voice. It was Kanda.

He opened it. "This is a bit better than last time," he commented, staring at Kanda. "What the…"

Kanda looked blankly at him. "Tyki has summoned both of us, and has asked me to get you. Its…Daisya," he said.

"Why…why do we have to be there?" Allen asked.

"He just said…a warning," Kanda said. "We had better go."

Allen nodded and grabbed his cloak from a chair. It thudded to the ground, but he ignored it and hurried out with Kanda. They said nothing as they hurried out of the apartment building.

"Wait…where are we going?" asked Allen. Kanda was going in a different direction from that of Tyki's haunt.

Kanda blinked blankly. He had no emotion, not even contempt for the younger assassin. "His warehouse," he said simply.

Allen nodded. He had only been there once before. And that was…for something close to what he thought would happen. But Tyki had ordered him out before anything had happened.

He had been glad, even though the shadow had been angry, and he had let it loose. That had been bad.

ooo

A year or so ago

ooo

Allen stared at the man on the chair. He was tied tightly to it, his feet together, his mouth gagged.

"Leave Mr. Walker," ordered Tyki, standing beside the man. "You do not wish to see this…"

"But…" Allen said, staring at the man. "What's going to happen to him?"

"None of your concern," said the tall man. "Just a job…failed." The way he said the last word scared Allen. It was dark, sinister.

"Now, leave, before I must _make_ you," hissed Tyki. Allen didn't move.

"Why?" he asked. It was acting up. The shadow _knew_ that something was going to happen. It wanted to see. _Let me _go! _I don't want to see this!_

_No!_

"Why you ask? Because I don't want you here," said Tyki silkily, coming over to him.

_No! I'm staying! And so are you…_ the purr of the shadow kept him rooted there, even though he would rather turn and leave.

"Leave!" ordered Tyki dangerously. His eyes flashed. Allen stumbled and turned, racing through the large shelves and boxes, heading for the door.

He had turned the corner when he heard a yell of pain and fear and the shadow burst from its cage within his heart.

Some of Tyki's men had been watching Allen flee with moderate amusement when _it_ reared back in his consciousness. _It_ took him over and he turned, drawing his gun quickly.

He fired it and hit a man straight in the chest. He fell over immediately. Others let out yells of surprise and anger and started shooting at Allen.

He dodged easily and jumped behind one of the large shelves that inhabited the warehouse.

"Where'd he go?" asked one.

"What the hell happened?" another asked, holding his gun at the ready. "He just flipped."

"What's going on?" came a silky voice from the shadows. The men looked around.

"It's the Walker boy, sir…he's gone cra—" the man talking was cut off as something fell from the large crates. The silver haired assassin had landed straight onto him. He let out a strangled cry, which was cut off as well as the silver dagger slashed across his neck.

Blood splattered the boxes behind them.

"Well, Mr. Walker, what are you doing?" Tyki asked with no concern, just mild curiosity. Allen stood, his hair covering his face. "See, I can't have you killing off my men."

"What do you care?" hissed Allen.

The shadow growled its approval. _Yes…yes…keep going…I need blood._

One of the men had been sneaking up around a large shelf, trying to get a shot at the crazed assassin from behind. He almost had a shot when Allen turned, shot once and then turned to face Tyki once more.

The man crumpled against the polls holding the shelves up.

"Come now," the lord said, staring at Allen. "Mr. Walker, please…"

"No…" he growled.

"Well, I must say—" Tyki was suddenly in front of him. Allen had no chance to move. "—Yes."

Tyki hit Allen with such force that he crashed into the shelf and slid to the floor.

"Because we can't have you going around killing random people, now can we?" asked the man, standing over Allen.

Silver eyes blinked up at him, and the shadow was gone.

Allen dragged himself up off the ground, using the shelves as support. He wiped the blood from his mouth on his sleeve.

"Run now…and if you become…curious enough to lose control, lose control elsewhere, because if you're here, I _will_ silence you," said Tyki darkly. Allen nodded and stumbled away, out of the warehouse…

ooo

Back in the present

ooo

"Moyashi? _Moyashi!_"

Kanda was calling to him. Allen snapped back into the present. They were standing in front of the warehouse door.

"Come on…don't just stand there," he said and Allen nodded, following him inside.

"Come this way," one of Tyki's gang members said, beckoning with one hand. "He's been 'spectin' you."

Allen and Kanda both nodded. They were both silent as they walked through the shelves and crates.

"Ah, I'm so very glad that you could come," purred the tall man in the top hat.

Allen swallowed. "W-why are we here?" he asked finally.

Tyki stood from where he had been sitting and gave his hat to one of the men, along with his gloves. "I have called you both here today so that you know what happens when you _fail_. A warning, if you will."

"Why do we need a warning?" Kanda asked quietly. Tyki turned to the longhaired young man.

"For future…reference," the dark skinned man said with no concern. Then he beckoned with a thin hand, the other holding an unlit cigarette. "Come this way…"

He led them even deeper into the darkened warehouse, until they reached a larger empty space. Men were already standing in the shadows, in the corners, watching silently.

And in the center was a chair. And on the chair, tied very tightly, one eye blackened, was Daisya. His head was bowed, and he looked unconscious. The only movement Allen saw was the shallow breathing of the young man.

"Daisya," murmured Kanda, staring stricken at him, a hint of fear in his dark eyes. Allen glanced at him, surprised, then back at the one tied. He felt sick.

Daisya had said something about knowing Kanda since they were ten. They had known each other for so long. Kanda was staring at his old friend with a sickened expression.

Allen then looked at the gang leader. A cruel smile played across his lips.

"Yes…you will finally see what happens to failures," Tyki said and walked over to the browned haired assassin. He lifted his head with a hand. "Time to wake up, Daisya."

Daisya moaned, his eyes flickering open. When they did open, Allen saw that the brown eyes, which had been full of light, were now dull. He just looked up at Tyki.

"What did you do to him?" Kanda asked quietly.

Tyki looked over at him. "Nothing…well, not compared to what _will_ happen."

Kanda fell silent, staring at Daisya. Allen looked at the assassin. He was defeated. Allen didn't want to be here. Not now. A year ago he had wanted to…but now, no! He didn't want to be here.

The tall man stood directly in front of Daisya. Some of his henchmen pushed Kanda and Allen closer.

"Watch closely, my dear assassins," said Tyki and pressed his fingertips onto the chest of the young man before him, over his heart.

The moment Tyki touched him, Daisya stiffened. He let out a cry of pain that shook Allen through completely. He couldn't take his eyes off the assassin before him.

Tyki pressed his palm onto his chest and Daisya's cry of pain grew louder, stretching longer. Strong spasms racked his body.

"Stop!" Kanda blurted out.

The man glanced back, a sadistic smile stretched across his lips then he turned back to the young man howling in pain before him.

Allen's breath caught in his throat. Tyki had pressed his hand firmly against Daisya's chest…and it had gone _through_ him.

The assassin's cries were cut off, turning into a strangled gurgle. Allen wanted to close his eyes, but couldn't. Blood was coming from the corner of his mouth now, as another strong shudder ran through him.

Tyki was still smiling.

_Give me hatred and blood; give me lust and love. Feed me…_

The thing inside Allen was roaring its approval. It was in danger of breaking free. But Allen clenched his fists together, subduing it.

I will break out; I will let you live. Let me out and I will help you…

Daisya had gone limp in the chair.

Allen stared.

Tyki withdrew his hand from Daisya and floating in the palm of his hand, was a pulsing, green orb. It throbbed and flickered. It was hideous, monstrous, evil. But it was beautiful and enchanting.

Allen could not take his eyes off the ball of light. And suddenly he remembered his dream. He didn't remember how long ago that had been, when he had dreamed of the backwards world and the powerful lord standing in front of him, but suddenly…it was true.

The orb pulsed again.

Tyki held it up, smirking.

Kanda was staring at Daisya. Allen tore his gaze from the lord and the orb and looked at the assassin as well.

Convulsions and shudders racked the young man. More blood trickled down the side of his mouth and Allen tracked a large droplet as it fell onto the floor.

"What did you…do to him..?" whispered Kanda. He couldn't take his eyes off his old friend, now dying.

"This, my dear assassins, is what magyk looks like," Tyki said, still wearing the sadistic smile, as he held up the glowing orb.

Allen stared at it. It looked to him that it was growing dimmer.

"…The essence of life, in the palm of my hand," the man had continued. "This gives life…and if you take it away, you take away the life. If I were to put it back, Daisya would revive. But, if I were to…take it, then I could crush it."

It was flickering, dimmer and dimmer. Tyki had noticed this before Allen had. He stared at it, and Allen could see the green reflected in his amber gold eyes. And slowly, very slowly, he closed his long fingers around the glow.

Daisya's shudders stopped completely.

Allen thought he saw the green disperse. It seemed that Tyki had taken it into him.

"His magyk is now mine," murmured Tyki, opening his hand and staring at it.

Kanda looked up at the lord, eyes wide. "You…killed him…and took his magyk," murmured Kanda, unable to speak louder.

Tyki grinned. "Yes. You're quite sharp, Mr. Kanda."

Allen looked over at Daisya. He hung completely limp in his ropes. Blood was slowly collecting under the chair that held him. Allen made himself look away, feeling sick.

"Take this as a warning," Tyki said, walking over to the two assassins and leaning down, so that he was at eye level with them both. "If you fail…expect this."

Kanda swallowed, regaining himself, then nodded.

Allen was white. But he nodded as well. And then some of Tyki's men grabbed their arms and dragged them away. The last of Tyki that Allen saw was the tall man lighting the cigarette, his golden eyes on the limp body of Daisya.

ooo

Lenalee was reading by the fire when the call came.

The maid rushed into the parlor, very flustered, spluttering. Lenalee couldn't even make out what she was saying at first.

"Calm down…what's happened?" the girl asked slowly.

The maid took a deep breath, speaking more slowly. "T-the doctor! The d-doctor is-is on t-the te-telephone! S-something…something a-about Mr. Lee!" she finally managed to say.

Lenalee was on her feet at once. "What? Is he still there?"

"Yes miss! H-he is!" the maid answered.

Lenalee rushed to the telephone and picked it up. "H-hello?"

"Miss Lee? This is the doctor who is working with your brother," the male voice said across the receiver.

"Yes? W-why are you calling me?" her voice had risen slightly and she tried to lower it.

"This is rather hard. I'm sorry to say…but your brother, Mr. Lee, had more injuries than we first thought. He has fallen into a coma," the doctor reported.

Lenalee was speechless for a moment. "W-what?" she squeaked. "B-but I thought his vital signs w-were stable! A-and w-when I saw him h-he looked f-fine!"

"Yes. He was doing well for that first day, as you saw him. But then he wanted to walk. He was with a nurse when…when he fell. Something happened when he had tried to walk. He lost a lot of blood and eventually fell unconscious," the doctor said.

"I-is h-he stable n-n-now?" she choked.

Lavi had heard her high pitched worried voice from the library, where he had been looking for another book. He found her clutching the receiver of the telephone, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Lenalee?" he asked quietly, coming over to her.

She glanced at him, then held the telephone tighter.

"He is more stable then he was," the doctor said. Lenalee nodded, even though the doctor couldn't see that. "Miss Lee?"

"Y-yes?"

"Take care of yourself. Don't worry, we shall do all that's in our power to help him," he told her. "I shall call if anything else happens."

"Y-yes…th-thank you," she stuttered, then hung up.

"Lenalee, what happened?" Lavi asked.

Lenalee swallowed, taking a deep breath. "Komui…f-fell," she said quietly. "And now he…he's even more…hurt."

"Oh Lenalee," Lavi said, moving forward to hug her, but she pulled away. The only person, she felt, could help her wouldn't be here. Why would he be here? His silver hair fluttering slightly, eyes soft…She shook her head.

"I-I…I…" she stuttered, but couldn't figure out what to say.

A silence stretched out between them where tears continued to roll down Lenalee's cheeks silently. Then a knocking echoed through the hall from the door and both jumped.

A manservant had already moved to open the door. Lenalee and Lavi both walked over slowly as it opened out onto the snowy winter night.

Two figures stood silently in the snow. Both wore winter cloaks, the woman wearing a long purple and cream dress. Green edged the sleeves, along with the emerald pendent and earrings.

"Well, don't just stand there!" snapped the woman.

Lenalee stepped back so that they could move inside. They were both short, but taller than Lenalee…and she hadn't seen them for two years, at least.

"Fo!" Lenalee said. The woman shed her cloak and one of the servants took it from her. Lenalee looked to the man, who smiled. Fo glared at her husband.

Lavi stared. He had only met the couple once, and they were as odd as ever.

"Why're you here?" Lenalee asked as Bak took his jacket off and handed it to a servant.

"Why else?" he asked. When she looked puzzled, Fo continued.

"Baka. We're here because of your brother," the woman said, looking at Bak first, then addressing the rest of the sentence to Lenalee.

"W-what?" Lenalee asked. She still had tears on her cheeks.

"Komui's in the hospital," said Bak. "We thought that you would need some support…and we wanted to see him as well."

Fo nodded, her green earrings swaying slightly. "So…let's talk."

* * *

A/N: Bak and Fo are hard to write. What do you think? Its my first time writing them...so, its kind of hard to write them. Was this chapter sad? I thought it was. I hope you enjoyed it though.

Thank you to everyone who reviews, and thank you especially to TheivingFox, Wolfofwords and Fire-shark, who are my best friends and really help me out. Thanks againI don't own D.Gray-Man


	12. Emotions

A/N: Sorry for taking so long. It was finals last week and I couldn't write any. But here it is, chapter 12. I have to warn you...I think its a bit...odd? I dunno. Just seems odd to me. Please read and reviewI don't own D.Gray-Man.

Chapter 12: Day 13 -- Emotions

* * *

Lenalee stared out of the window at the night sky, where the large silver moon shown brightly. It could be called morning, but it still looked night.

Her two guests were in one of the empty rooms down the hall. They had talked for an hour or so…Lenalee didn't even know why she had been awake that late. It was around 1 o'clock when the doctor called.

She couldn't sleep, that was it. And then Bak and Fo came…and they talked.

Lenalee was utterly exhausted, but she couldn't fall asleep. She was too worried about her brother to fall asleep.

Finally, after half an hour of staring at the moon, she felt her eyes close and she fell into a fretful but welcomed sleep.

ooo

When Allen Walker had returned home, he had thrown up. He had staggered upstairs, almost tripping twice, and when he had entered his apartment, he had almost tripped going into the bathroom.

He stayed in there for quite a while.

And while in there, he thought. Thought about his past, thinking back…

He couldn't remember the last time he had retched because of something to do with a job. No…he could remember.

The first time he killed someone he threw up. His master had watched him with scornful eyes; not bothering to do anything except scold him for being weak…and tell him that it had had to be done.

But then, Allen couldn't help it. That shadow, that cursed demon, had taken over when he was actually killing the person, so when he came back, he had looked at what he had done, and heaved until there was nothing left.

It had been a messy killing. And he didn't even remember doing it. Only had stared at the blood on his hands, on the walls, the ground, the mangled body.

And now he was heaving again…and he was feeling things that he hadn't felt since that damn shadow had come.

"Damn it!" he said, slamming his hand into the wall.

He was consumed in another fit of dry-heaves. After several minutes and several gasps of air he sat back, leaning against the wall. He took deep breaths, trying to think, trying to figure out his feelings and emotions.

He had never had a friend…or hadn't since the shadow. Lavi was a friend. That just confused him. He wanted to stay friends with Lavi, but it was dangerous…and he didn't want Lavi to be killed.

And the whole thing with Daisya made him sick and confused. He didn't understand…why had Tyki shown him that? Did he suspect something?

And then his thoughts turned to Lenalee. Lavi had asked if he had seen the look she had given him. He hadn't, and didn't know what it meant.

"I c-can't…" he muttered to himself.

But inside, deep within his heart, he knew it already. He was falling in love with Lenalee.

And the shadow…He couldn't figure out what the shadow felt about that. It had been acting up lately. Ever since the job. Yes, that was right.

He needed to tell Lenalee about Daisya. But it was late, and he was in no state to go anywhere at the moment. He would tell her in the morning. With that, he stumbled to his bedroom and fell asleep immediately.

ooo

Lenalee woke late in the morning. Sun was filtering through the window, a watery, liquidy, weak light that showed the signs of stormy skies later on.

She pulled herself from the bed and stepped onto the cool floor. She pulled on her robe over her nightgown and, after looking out of the window, headed downstairs.

She walked into the dinning room, where breakfast was being served. She had told the maids, last night, that they could start it without her, if her guests were up.

Fo and Bak were sitting at the table, and so was Lavi, and they all looked around as she entered.

"Hello Lenalee," Lavi said as she sat down beside him, facing the couple across the table.

"How did you sleep?" Bak asked, smiling as he continued his breakfast. She smiled and started eating the food that had been given to her.

"Well enough…I really hope that Komui will be ok," she said.

"I'm sure he will be," Fo said, flicking her orange hair behind her ear. "Doctors are quite well at what they do."

"And Komui's strong," Bak said. "He'll pull through."

Lenalee smiled again, glad that they were there. Bak had known Komui for a long time…probably longer than she knew Lavi, and so he knew him well, and she trusted him.

"Well, what are you going to do today?" Lavi asked, finished his food.

"I don't know," Lenalee said.

In truth, she did have one idea. She wanted to see Allen. But she didn't think that was possible. He had disappeared during the visit to Komui. She wanted to talk to him. _But…he wouldn't want to talk to me. I bet he's got a job and_--

"We should get out, look around the town," Fo said, cutting into Lenalee's thoughts.

Bak opened his mouth to speak when a servant entered.

"Miss Lee, someone is here to see you," he said, bowing before he began.

Lenalee looked over at him. "Who is it?"

"Its Mr. Walker, miss," he said. Lenalee stood up at once and followed him out of the dinning room.

"Who is Mr. Walker?" Fo asked Lavi.

"Allen Walker," Lavi said, watching Lenalee leave. "I'll be back." And with that, he left as well, following the girl. Fo and Bak looked at each other.

"Allen?" Lenalee asked, coming into the entrance hall. Allen looked around, and she swore she saw him smile, a true smile.

"Miss Lee," he said. After a moment, she noticed he looked slightly pale.

"Are you ok? You don't look so well," she said. He just smiled again, hiding something.

"I'm fine," he said, "but I've come here to tell you something important."

He paused, spotting Lavi come into the hallway, then continued. "The person who tried to kill your brother, he's—"

"You know who it is?" came Bak's voice, cutting him off. Allen looked over Lenalee's shoulder quickly and saw the man. He tensed.

"Its ok Allen…he's a friend of Komui," Lenalee murmured. Lavi watched all of this carefully.

Fo glared at her husband for interrupting and he fell silent after a small "sorry" to his wife.

"The person who tried to kill your brother," Allen repeated, "is dead."

Silence met his words, just like when he had told them that Yeegar had been killed.

"D-dead?" Lenalee whispered. Allen nodded. "How do you know this?"

Fo was watching Allen carefully, her eyes never leaving him. Lavi was looking between the silver haired boy and Lenalee. Bak stayed silent, watching the whole thing.

"I was there," he said quietly. "I saw it happen."

Lenalee stared at him. "O-oh," she said. "Who…"

"Tyki."

"The leader of the East-West gang?" Bak asked suddenly. Allen turned to him, eyeing him carefully.

"Yes," he said.

"So, the would be killer of Komui is now dead," Lavi said. Allen nodded. "I can't figure out if that's…good or bad."

"If its you, then I'd say good," said Allen. "If its me, bad."

Fo narrowed her eyes. There was something about this boy…

"Lavi, Bak, come with me," she ordered.

"What?" Lavi asked, looking around. Her husband jumped slightly.

"Why?" he asked.

"Come on," she said, her eyes flashing, and she led them from the hall and into the lounge. "I want to talk to you."

Lenalee stood nervously. "Would you like to come into the study? It's a bit more private, instead of the hallway."

He nodded. "But…I won't stay long," he said and followed her into another room.

She closed the door carefully. "So he died?" Lenalee murmured quietly. "Or…Or was killed."

"Killed," Allen said, then sighed and sat down beside Lenalee.

"Have I…met them before?" asked Lenalee, curious. Allen looked at her, thinking, then nodded slowly.

"Yes…when we were going to visit your brother. He stopped me in the street," Allen said.

"Him? He almost killed Komui? But he looked so…scared," Lenalee said. Allen nodded.

"He was. Because he failed…he knew what was going to happen…" Allen said. "But it was…so horrible."

"What happened?" Lenalee asked, watching him carefully. He looked sick. And if she could interpret the look in his eyes correctly, scared.

"Tyki killed him…I…I didn't think it was possible to…to…" he stopped. _Why am I telling her this? Shut up!_ He shouted to himself in his head. But he wanted to tell her, he wanted her to know…

"To what?" she asked quietly.

"To take magyk from someone," he finally said, after a moment of fighting with himself.

Lenalee's eyes widened. "That…can happen?" she asked, shocked. He nodded, closing his eyes. "Are you ok?"

Allen shook his head. "It made me sick," he said. He opened his eyes and the usually calm silver was now darker.

"Its ok Allen…" she said, placing a hand on his arm. He looked down at it in surprise. Lenalee herself was surprised as well.

"I'll be…fine," he said, staring at her. _Stop talking! Just stop talking!_ "It was just…"

He tried to think of words to say. "…Reminded me of a time, a year or so ago…that was bad too…just like…this…" The shadow was growling. His brain was shouting at him. _Shut up! Don't tell her! She doesn't need to know!_

Lenalee watched him carefully. Her hand was still on his arm.

"You had a…hard life," she said quietly. He nodded slowly.

She wanted to comfort him, to hug him. She wanted to see Allen as Allen and not as an Assassin. She wanted him to see her as Lenalee, and not the girl who owned most of the town.

"I knew Daisya…not well, not like Kanda…he looked…so…" he was leaning forward as he muttered. It was more like he was talking to himself.

Lenalee leaned closer, hand still on his arm. And before either of them knew it, they're lips had met.

Allen's brain had stopped working a while back, right around the time Lenalee had placed her hand on his arm. But now it roared into action. _What am I doing? I've changed…I'm weak…what…am…I…doing?_

Allen twisted around, getting off the couch quickly, stumbling and touching his lips with a hand.

"A-Allen?" Lenalee said, surprised.

"This isn't right. This isn't me. I came to t-tell you about Daisya, not to…to…tell you about my f-feelings!" he said, then ran from the room.

"Allen!" she called after him, trying to follow. "Wait! I'm sorry!"

But he was already opening the door and then it slammed shut and she leaned against the wall.

"Why won't you…let me in?" she murmured to herself. "Don't go farther…"

ooo

"Who is Allen Walker?" Fo asked Lavi when they had entered the lounge.

"What do you mean? That was Allen," Lavi said, slightly confused. He was intimidated by this woman, and sat down nervously.

"I mean, who is he? Why is he here?" she asked. Bak sat next to her, staying silent.

"Just a…friend," Lavi said. He didn't think he should tell them.

Fo narrowed her eyes. "How did he see Komui's attacker killed without being killed?" she asked. "There's something about that boy you're not telling me."

Lavi sighed. He trusted them as well, so he would tell them. But before he could, Bak said something.

"I know of one Mr. Walker…" he said. "Is that boy the assassin?"

Lavi's eye widened, then nodded slowly.

"What is he doing here then?" Fo asked. "Isn't that dangerous?"

"I thought so too, but he hasn't tried to hurt Lenalee yet. He was the one who killed her body double at her first ball," Lavi explained. "But he also saved her at her next, and now is working for her. We trust him."

"You're all children," Fo said. "You're still young…and he's young too…a top level assassin so young."

"What?" Lavi asked, confused. "But he's 17 and you're only nine years older than m—"

"Shut up," she snapped. "He was an assassin before he met you, Lavi. He started when he was 12."

Lavi's stared at her. He knew that he had started out when he was young, but 12? And how did Fo know this? "How do you know this?"

"I check the police database every now and then," she said. "Some time, somewhere along the line, someone found that he became an apprentice of another well known assassin."

"He's very dangerous Lavi," Fo continued. "I was just asking, to see if you knew what he was."

"Yeah, I know that he's an assassin. I've actually seen him kill. He's unbelievable. He was fighting with another assassin when police came and they killed all of them," he told them.

Fo nodded. "Yes."

"I'm just worried that you trust him…you might not want to," she said.

Lavi just stared at her, unable to figure out what to say. He wanted to trust Allen, and couldn't help but do so. He could've killed them when they met them…

He was saved from answering when they heard Lenalee cried out.

"What was that?" he said, standing up.

"Allen!" Lenalee cried and they heard the door slam. He left the lounge and saw Lenalee leaning against the wall.

"Lenalee? Are you ok? What happened?" he asked her.

She looked up and he saw a tear rolling down her cheek.

"I-its nothing Lavi," she said, wiping her eyes quickly. "He just…left in a hurry."

Lavi nodded. Something had happened, he knew it. He also knew that Lenalee and Allen were falling in love. It was easy to see.

ooo

Allen walked quickly down the street. He had been called to Tyki's place. Thankfully it wasn't at the warehouse. He didn't think he could go there so soon.

He knocked on the door and was let inside. Allen walked through the room. Some watched him, but most ignored him.

When he entered the room, he looked around.

"Mr. Walker, so glad that you could join us. How are you?" Tyki asked from where he sat at his desk.

"Fine," he said, although he was anything but fine. But he wasn't about to tell Tyki that. "What do you need me for?"

"I have a job for you…and your pay for your past one," he said, dropping a thick roll of paper bills onto the table for Allen to take.

The assassin flipped through them for a moment, then looked up again. "What's my job?"

"Do you recall that job that you had two weeks ago?" he asked. Allen felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. He knew what was coming. "You're job is to finish off Miss Lee."

"Please, take your time. Last time we were hasty and it wasn't her. So, lets go a bit slower, and make sure that you do kill _her_ and not a body double," the man said.

Allen nodded. "Yes sir," he said, bowing slightly and slipping the money into his pocket.

"And if you fail…you know what will happen," he said dangerously as Allen left the room and walked through the tables once more.

"I can't do this…" he murmured when he left the building. He looked up at the sky. It had turned cloudy. He had to tell her…but…he couldn't go back yet. He touched his lips gently.

_Don't think Allen…just act. Follow your heart…_whispered the shadow.

"But…that's you," he murmured.

_You could think of it that way…just follow your feelings…and don't forget…I'll…always be here…for you…_ the voice murmured lovingly and then drifted off.

He shook his head. He didn't know what to do.

* * *

Feel free to ask questions! Please review, tell me what you thought of it!


	13. Messages

A/N: Whew, here you guys go. This chapter...took a long time. But I really like it! Last chapter was kinda weird, so this chapter makes up for it, I think. Hope you enjoy it! And special thanks to Akky-Chan, who has been a big help with those reviews. And also to my friends, Wolf-of-words, Thievingfox and Fire-shark. I luv you guys. Please reviewI don't own dgm

Chapter 13: Day 13 cont. -- Messages

* * *

Allen Walker bought some new clothes with a small portion of the money that Tyki had given him.

Now he looked at himself in the mirror. The new jacket, with its silver clasps going down the front and long tails and the thick cloth, felt better than his old jacket. That one also had some holes in it from a job—he couldn't remember which one.

He had also got a new suit…the other was destroyed from the whole jump-from-the-window thing.

But Allen still had a lot more money left. Tyki had given him a lot of money.

He also had to tell Lenalee about the job. The job that he had been dreading ever since Tyki mentioned that he would be given another chance. He couldn't do it.

_Well_, he thought_, of course not…you love her, stupid. Even if you didn't, you couldn't have killed her. I have no clue what I'm doing…_

He pulled on his new jacket and headed out of his apartment. Down the stairs, past the landlord and out the door.

It was drizzling. Allen had noticed that the weather was slowly changing, not that it had changed much. It was still cold, and froze at night, but the snow was slowly turning to rain.

He pulled up his collar and headed down the street.

It was late when he actually reached Lenalee's and headed through the iron gates. And the rain had grown and now it was half snow and half rain…turning into slush.

He was about to knock when lightning flashed.

"What is with the weather?" he murmured to himself. "Always with the lightning when I come here late…"

It was true. But it was just because of the time of year. It was always fickle around this time.

He knocked and then waited…

…and waited.

Where were the servants who opened the door? He thought a moment, then wondered if they had been told not to answer the door. Maybe that was it. But he needed to talk to Lenalee.

He turned and with inhuman speed scaled the wall, climbing the terrace that was there for vines, not people.

And then he was in Lenalee's room, or the very edge of it, as more lightning flashed.

"If I really wanted to kill her, it would be so easy," he murmured to himself, standing on the windowsill.

He was right. There were no guards, no security…

Lenalee was sitting at her desk when a cold wind blew through her room, snuffing out the candle that she was writing by. It blew at the papers, some sliding off the desk and she made a wild grab for them.

"Where did that come from?" she asked herself, holding the papers and looking around. Lightning illuminated the whole room and she saw the silhouette against the blinding white.

"Why do you always come in like that?" she asked softly as Allen came into the room.

He looked at her with soft silver eyes. "No one answered when I knocked…" he said.

"So you decided to climb the house. That sounds like something Lavi would do," she said, laughing softly.

A ghost of a smile came onto his pale lips.

"So, what is so important that you had to climb my house?" she asked.

The small smile disappeared.

"He…he gave me that job," Allen said.

"'That job'?" she asked, not comprehending what he was saying.

"…You," he said after a moment of silence which wasn't really silent as thunder rumbled.

Her eyes widened. "Oh…oh…that…that gives us some…problems."

"Yeah," he said. "And I have no clue on what to do. If he finds out, I'm dead…literally."

She nodded slowly, another flash of lightning reflecting off Allen's hair.

Then something hit her. Cold and hard and sudden. The lighting off his hair had made the memory come flooding back to her. She knew where she had seen him before…she remembered. Lenalee let out a small cry, stumbling backwards.

"M-Miss Lee?" he asked, startled.

"I…I know where I've seen you before," she breathed. Allen stared at her, confused. "I know…I know now…"

"What're you talking about?" Allen seemed rather shaken. He had taken a step backwards, away from her. She stepped forwards and he stepped back again.

"N-no! Don't leave!" she cried as he disappeared, fleeing from her window. She ran to the window and watched his figure disappearing through the gates.

"Lenalee?"

It was Lavi. He came into the room and saw her by the window and came over to her, worried and curious.

"I know where I saw him!" she said. "I remember now!" She slid to the floor.

"W-what are you talking about?" Lavi said, startled, and knelt down beside her.

She looked at him through her slender fingers as lightning flashed again and he saw her flinch, a slightly distant look in her eyes.

"I remember where I saw Allen…" she breathed.

Lavi stared at her for a moment as the storm took a small pause. A distant flash of lightning among the stormy clouds, lighting the horizon. The storm was far from them, but also on top of them. Lavi vaguely wondered if it was coming towards them, or going away.

"What do you mean?" he asked finally.

Another flash of lightning, close this time, flashed across her face.

"Allen…I told you that…that I had seen him before, didn't I?" she asked slowly. He nodded, unsure. "I just remembered."

"Tell me," Lavi said.

ooo

Four years prior

ooo

Lenalee Lee hurried through the streets. The rain that followed her was also accompanied by the ever-persistent lightning and thunder.

She had been out getting a book that she had wanted when it had started raining. Now she was almost running, holding the book to her chest so that it didn't get totally soaked.

Another flash of lightning startled her and she let out a squeak. Why did she have to be out here? She wished Lavi had come with her…but he had left with Mr. Bookman a week ago and she didn't know when he was (or if he ever would) come back.

The young girl saw a figure walking down the street towards her. Bowing her head, she hurried past them. They took no notice to the girl with the slicked back dark hair and continued on their way.

"I need to find somewhere to stop…" she murmured to herself. She was soaked to the bone and frozen. But the block that she was on now only held closed shops.

Then she noticed a tall building loom ahead of her and with a grateful sigh, she hurried towards it. The old church had tall turrets that swirled into the dark sky. It looked like a boned beast, its mouth the wooden doors.

Carefully she pushed it open just a bit and slipped inside. It was dark, but lighter than outside. And defiantly dryer.

Lenalee set her book on a nearby pew and twisted her hair out as lightning lit the empty church. She was starting to ring out her skirt when she heard voices and looked up.

Two people were standing by the altar at the very front of the church. _Oh good…I'll talk to them. I hope they don't mind me staying here for a little bit_, she thought, picking up her slightly wet book and starting to walk down the isle, towards the figures.

"—what do you mean?" the older of the two was saying as she walked down the isle.

The lightning flashed again, lighting the pews and the altar. She could see the priest, a shorter, balding man. And then she saw the other one, a boy, around her age, she thought…with white hair!

And then darkness fell and a rumble of thunder echoed through the church.

"Its just…Father…its…" the boy was saying quietly, so that Lenalee almost missed it. She walked closer than stopped. They hadn't seen her yet. And that would be rude, interrupting them. It sounded like the boy was having some troubles.

"Yes, son, go on," the Father said encouragingly.

"…I've been…been sinning," Lenalee heard him say.

"What have you done?"

Silence stretched, which was interrupted by a crash of thunder that had followed the lightning. And then suddenly the boy pulled something from under his cloak. Lenalee gave a small gasp and crouched down behind the nearest pew, holding her book close.

It was a silver knife. Lightning had flashed at the exact moment that he had drawn it and she had seen it clearly. And then he sunk it into the priest's stomach.

"…This…" the boy murmured. She could hear the priest give a startled noise. "I'm sorry Father…"

Lenalee peered over the pew, shaking with terror.

The two figures were frozen; the image burned into the young girl's mind: the older man, leaning heavily and the young boy standing tall.

And then the priest slid to the floor…

…And Lenalee ran.

She almost tripped over the pew as she staggered out of the row, away from the young boy and the dead priest and the murderer and the victim. Her mind was racing, her heart pounding.

Then she regained her footing and ran toward the door, opening it and running into the rain and lightning and thunder.

She was terrified, but something in her heart wanted her to stop running, to see that boy. But she didn't stop running. Lenalee vaguely heard the footsteps of the boy following her, running, out of the church after her.

She didn't know why, but part of her wanted him to catch up with her. Why would he kill a priest? How? How old was he? Why was he here? Questions bounced inside her head, but she kept running.

The part of her that was pulsing with fear had overrun the part that was curious. The sky was dark, except for lightning, and the only thing, beside the thunder and the rain, that Lenalee could hear was her own breathing and her heartbeat. And maybe the distant footsteps of the boy.

"I ran so far…I ran all the way back to the house…" Lenalee finished. "And my brother was so worried. But I didn't tell him about what had happened. And I forgot about it."

Lavi was frowning slightly, making sense of what Lenalee had told him. "He was 13, if you were 14…and he was already killing people," he finally said. "Well, I knew that. Fo told me that he had started at age 12."

Lenalee nodded. Apparently the storm was going away from them, because the flashes of lightning and the claps of thunder were more distant and not on top of the house.

"And he ran," Lavi said. "After you said that…right?"

"Yes. He r-ran. He looked scared…" she said quietly.

"Well, you said that you remembered him," Lavi said. "I think I understand why he freaked out. He's an assassin, and someone who remembers him…its unnerving to him."

Lenalee nodded and stood, steadying herself. Lavi did as well and closed the windows against the strong wind.

"Have you heard anything about your brother?" the redhead asked, changing the subject. He knew that Lenalee loved Allen…he could tell. And he also saw that Allen felt something towards Lenalee. But the silver haired young man was an assassin, and Lenalee was a noblewoman and they didn't go together.

What would happen if Tyki found out that Allen was working for Lenalee? The same thing that happened to that other assassin? Or something worse? Lavi couldn't help but feel worried for the younger silver haired boy. He wished he could do something to help.

"Yes, I have," she said. Her tone had turned joyous. "He's getting better! They said that he could come home soon!"

Lavi smiled. "That's great!" he said, turning away so that she couldn't see his expression. He loved Lenalee, but he knew that he could never be with her.

"I think I'm going to turn in for tonight," Lavi commented.

"Oh…I forgot…Allen got that job," Lenalee said as he turned to leave.

Lavi turned back, looking at her. "What job?"

"Me. He's supposed to kill me," she said. "Goodnight Lavi."

He looked at her for a moment, then turned and left her room silently. What could they do?

ooo

He didn't know why that had unnerved him so much. But it had. Someone had remembered him. And that someone was the someone he had feelings toward. He didn't know if he was happy that she had remembered him or not.

His silver hair whipped his face as he fled the house. "She looked scared," he murmured to himself. "She looked like she was scared of me."

Allen made his way to his apartment. The rain had stopped, but the wind was as strong as ever, bending the trees, blowing the signs that hung in front of cafés and stores.

He entered the building. It was dim, the lights flickering slightly because of the winds pull on the power lines. He headed up to his apartment and then stopped when he reached it. An envelope was sticking out from under the door.

Frowning, he leaned down, grabbed it and then unlocked his room, staring at the front. He entered, locked the door behind him and then slid his finger into the edge of the paper, opening the envelope.

Carefully he pulled a letter out.

One simple sentence was written on the paper, using the magyk language. He knew these well, but this code was more complex. After a moment of rereading, he finally figured it out and his eyes widened.

_I saw you…_

Those three words made his blood run cold. He dropped his hand, staring at the wall. But then something clicked and he looked at the letter again, then flipped it over. And sure enough, more small neat writing was at the very bottom, easily looked over.

_Be careful._

ooo

The police were bothersome. That's all they were. They didn't do much, didn't stop the assassins, didn't stop _him_. Well, they couldn't. But the tall man wanted to get rid of them. And so he was going to.

Tyki walked down the street slowly, golden eyes missing nothing. He had told his boys what to do. It they did what they had said they did, this would be over with.

He loved to do things like this. And he hadn't done much. Not that he _couldn't_. He just _hadn't_. And he wanted to. So, even though his was easy, his plan would make everything else so much easier.

He had told his boys what to do. He had told them what he would do. They had gone, and done it. He trusted them to value their lives and loyalty enough to do the job. And it wasn't hard for them either.

An evil smile twisted his lips as he pulled out a cigarette and a match. He was nearing the police station. As he came to the brick building, he placed the match on the wall, lighting it as he walked.

He smirked. He could tell that they had done their job. He could almost see the gas coming from the window.

It was simple. He had told his men to go, turn on all the gas, pull the knobs off so that no one could turn it off, and leave. Simple as that. And so, throughout the day, the building slowly filled. Officers got lightheaded, sick, but didn't realize what was happening.

Tyki lit his cigarette and held it between his teeth, then started walking away from the building, flicking the lit match over his should as he did. It flew, flipping, through the air and into the open window of the police station.

And the whole building exploded.

Tyki stopped walking as the ground shook and the loud noise subsided somewhat. He could feel heat on his back, but just smirked. Pieces of brick and wood were falling from where they had been thrown into the air, landing in the street and on other buildings.

He finally turned to survey what the damage was. Not much of the building was left standing. The steps up to the door were still there, but it was just a pile of brick and wood, still burning. A thick black smoke billowed from the reminisce of the building.

He could just see a body, covered in brick and still burning wood. Almost all of the officers who worked there had been inside. And now he didn't have to worry about it.

The gang leader walked away, smoke drifting from his cigarette, the evil smile still on his lips. People would be coming to see what had happened. There was no doubt about that. The explosion had shaken the whole block.

Pieces of wood and brick were still falling. The smoke was still as black and thick as ever, making the clouds even darker.

"Now they can't get in my way," he said to himself, satisfied.

* * *

Thanks for reading! Reviews? Questions?


	14. Letters and Code

A/N: Thanks for waiting everyone! Special thanks to my friends, and everyone who gives reviews, I'm glad that people are enjoying my stories! Here's chapter 14 for you. Its just a bit longer than the other chapters...special treat! I hope you enjoy it, and please review! Oh yes, and please vote on my poll on my profile, at the top. Thank you readers! Darkotter.

Chapter 14: Day 14 -- Letters and Codes

* * *

Allen Walker had heard the explosion. More like…felt the explosion. It was around three in the morning when the whole apartment shook, dust falling from the ceiling.

"What the—" he said, pushing himself off the floor where he had fallen. He had been dozing in a chair when the explosion occurred and had fallen off. Now he was rubbing his back where he had hit the table.

He looked around as he heard the sound of the explosion ripple off the buildings. Everything settled, but he could hear a subtle roar. He got up and grabbed his jacket.

He reached the building quickly, seeing nothing but rubble.

"Damn," he muttered under his breath, staring at the dark smoke that could only be seen in the light of the lampposts. He turned as he heard the distant calls of a fire truck.

He knew what building had been there. It had been the police station…now there was nothing that could stop Him. He knew that Tyki was responsible. And by the looks of the rubble and the smoke and the still burning fire, he had probably taken care of it himself.

Carefully, the silver haired boy slipped away as the fire truck screeched around the corner. He didn't really want to get caught there.

ooo

"The police station was destroyed," Fo said, looking up from the book she had been reading as Lenalee came into the sitting room.

"What?" she asked, startled.

"Police station…fire…blown up?" the older woman said. "Where's Bak?"

Lenalee shrugged. This stuff was starting to feel normal. And so was the growing number of people who had come to live with her, because Lavi had just entered the door, carrying a book.

"Morning!" he said to the room, setting the book down.

"Good morning Lavi," Lenalee said. "Where'd you go off to?"

"To return the book that I 'borrowed' from Bookman a while ago," Lavi said. "After I copied several of the different codes of magyk, which might I add took a very long time."

"You still had that book?" Lenalee asked.

"What is this? You have a coding book?" Fo asked. "And you got it from Bookman?"

Lavi nodded, waving some papers that he had set on the table next to the book. "Its all here, all…well, not all of it. There are at least fifteen different codes in just that book. I only copied the most common ones. And…only three of them."

"Ok, so now that you've returned that book, what'd you nick this time?" Lenalee asked, a teasing light in her eyes. She knew his nature.

The redhead made a false look of hurt come across his face. "I'm hurt. You don't trust me to ask first? Yes, I actually _asked_ this time," he added when he noticed the looks Lenalee and Fo exchanged. "But, it's a different matter if he actually said _yes_."

"I take it he didn't," Fo said, raising an eyebrow. "Where is Bak? BAK!" She raised her voice, calling through the house.

"Why do you need Bak?" Lavi asked.

"Because he's been lazing about. He needs to do something," Fo snapped. "BAK!"

Lenalee giggled lightly and turned back to Lavi.

"So, book?"

"Yes, yes book! Ok, so I had looked at this because its about magyk," he said. "Another one, at least. This one also tells about 'shadows' and other odd creature like things that haunt around."

"I've never heard of those before," Lenalee said, going over to him and flipping through the papers he had written out. "How _do_ you write this small?"

Lavi shrugged. "Lots of time practicing…I should talk to Allen about that code stuff. I bet he knows some stuff. Oh yeah, that other thing…" he drifted off. He had another thing that he wanted to ask the silver haired assassin about next time he came around.

"Is the radio correct? Did the police station get blown up?" asked Bak as he entered. Fo snapped her book closed.

"I was calling for you!" she said. "Where were you?"

"Listening to the radio!" he said back.

Fo rolled her eyes. "Yes, Bak, it's true. The East-West gang is responsible."

"How do you know?" he asked, sitting down beside his wife.

"Who else would be blowing up buildings? Baka Bak!" she snapped. "Where's that assassin? I need to ask him some questions!"

"I don't know where he is…he doesn't really come when called," Lenalee said. "And…and he had a start last time he was here."

Lavi glanced at her. He knew what she was talking about and wondered if Allen would come back any time soon. He really wanted to ask him about _that_.

No one said anything, until a manservant came in, holding an envelope.

"Miss Lee, this was found in the gate…it's addressed to you," he said, handing the envelope to the young woman and left the room.

Curious, Lenalee looked at it. _To Miss Lenalee Lee_ was written in neat handwriting. The others stared at her as she opened it and pulled the letter out. She stared at it for a long enough time for Lavi to say something.

"Lenalee! What's it say?" he asked finally.

She looked up. "I…don't know."

Lavi blinked blankly at her. "What? What do you mean you don't know? You can read."

Lenalee handed it to him wordlessly and he looked at it. "Oh…" he said. "Because its in code."

The dark haired girl nodded. "I know that. I can't read it. So, whomever this is from knows the language. Now we really need Allen," she said, sitting down at the table.

"What's it look like? Is it an actual letter?" Bak asked.

"More like a couple sentences," Lavi said, sitting down as well. He stared at it, then looked at the papers for a minute then looked back. "This is _really_ complex."

"We're in need of Mr. Walker, it seems," Fo said.

"Is there any way to call him?" Bak asked.

Both Lenalee and Lavi shook their heads. He only came when he wanted too. They could only wish that he would come.

ooo

It was around lunchtime when there was a knock on the door. Lenalee looked up, and after grabbing the letter, almost ran to the door. It might be Allen.

The manservant pulled the door open for her. It _was_ Allen.

"I'm glad to see you!" Lenalee said and led him inside. He looked slightly pale.

"Why?" he asked. "You've heard of the police station, right?"

She nodded. "Yes. Oh, we're just starting lunch, would you like to join us?" she asked. He shook his head, a small smile on his lips.

"I'm fine," he said. "But thank you."

Lenalee looked at him, then nodded and headed back to the dinning room where the others were eating lunch, Allen behind her. Once inside, she sat back down, inviting him at least to sit.

He nodded and sat.

"Oh yeah," she said and slid the envelope over to Allen. "This was found on my gate."

Allen took the letter in his gloved hand, and Lenalee wondered why he always wore those white gloves. He flipped it over, looking at it for a moment, then opened it, pulling the letter out.

"I tried to figure it out," Lavi said. "But it's really complex."

The silver haired boy nodded slowly. "Yes…what're you using to decode things, Lavi?" he asked, looking up at the older boy.

Lavi left the table, hurrying back to the sitting room and back. Allen was still looking at the letter when he returned, and dropped the papers by Allen.

"I copied them from a book…but its just three of them, out of the fifteen that they had," Lavi said as the younger boy looked at them.

"These are the basic ones," Allen said, leafing through.

"I know…"

"This is one of the more complex…and whoever wrote it also added their own element into it," Allen said.

"Can you read it?" Lenalee asked.

Allen looked up. "Yes."

Fo and Bak glanced at each other.

"…and?"

Silver eyes moved back to the letter. It was around a paragraph, the handwriting very familiar.

I know what is going on.

_I've seen you, Allen. _

_I know that Miss Lee could never figure this out. _

_And the redhead couldn't either, even if he worked on it. _

_I'm warning you. _

_Be more careful._

He_ might see you._

He looked up once more, then read the letter out loud to the small group.

"What? Someone saw you?" Lavi asked. "And I'm mentioned."

"What other redhead would they be talking about?" Fo asked, the first thing she had said for a while.

"I also got a letter…much shorter though," Allen said, pulling the letter from his pocket and flipping it open. He compared it for a minute. "The handwriting is similar, as well as the code. The code is actually…almost exactly the same."

"So, they're from the same person. Whoever saw you come here," Bak said, continuing to eat his lunch. Allen nodded.

"I have to be more careful," the silver-eyed boy murmured. He slipped his letter back into a pocket, then turned the letter Miss Lee had received over, to look at the back. There was a small symbol on the very bottom right hand corner.

Lavi stared at him, chewing slowly. "This is getting thicker and thicker…" he commented.

"Yes, and since he wants you gone—" he motioned to Lenalee "—I have to be even more careful. I don't…don't quite know what to do."

Bak and Fo looked at each other.

"He got the…the job for me," Lenalee said. "Tyki wants me dead."

"Ah," Fo said.

They continued eating; all of them falling into silence as they carried on their own trains of thought. Allen pulled his letter out once more and looked it over, looking at the other letter as well.

The telephone rang, echoing through the house. It rang several times before a maid picked it up. They listened to her answer, then footsteps were heard and the door opened. "Miss Lee, it's the doctor."

Lenalee got up and went to the telephone. "Hello? This is Lenalee Lee," she said.

"Hello, Miss Lee. I have some news for you," the doctor said.

"Good news?" she asked, holding the receiver tightly. There was the sound of flipping through paper, then the doctor said to her, "Yes."

"Really?"

The doctor said, "Yes. I'm very glad to say that your brother has recovered! And he can come home today, if you like. He's still healing, but we think that it would be better for him to return to his own house and family."

"That's great! Thank you so much! I'll come straight away!" Lenalee said happily.

"I look forward to talking to you," the doctor said and hung up. Lenalee set the phone down and hurried back into the dinning room, where the others still were seated.

"My brother can come home!" she announced happily. Bak and Fo both smiled warmly and Lavi grinned widely. She glanced at Allen and saw a small smile come across his pale face.

"That's great news!" Lavi said, standing up. "Can we go pick him up?"

Lenalee nodded happily and turned to leave. "I'm going right now. I'll be back, unless some of you want to come."

"No, its fine. We can wait," Fo said. "We have some papers to fill out for our company, don't we, Bak?"

Bak winced. "Yes, dear."

Lavi chuckled. "I'll stay here as well. We can welcome him home!"

Lenalee smiled and left the dinning room to get ready. Once she was ready to leave, she headed down and got into her horse drawn carriage. It headed for the hospital.

"Come, Bak," Fo ordered, getting up from the table and dragging her husband out. Allen and Lavi listened to his protests as she led him to their room, where apparently they had some overdue paperwork to fill out.

Allen smiled slightly, listening, then folded both letters up.

"Hey Allen, there was something I wanted to ask you about," Lavi said. Allen looked up and over at the redheaded young man.

"Yeah?" he asked, slipping both letters into his jacket.

Lavi nodded. "I was wondering something. Since this is going to get more dangerous, I think, since now you were ordered to kill Lenalee…" he said. "I was wondering if you could teach me a few moves. I want to help out. I know some stuff, actually." He grinned at Allen.

Allen looked slightly startled and asked, "You want me to teach you how to fight?"

Lavi nodded. "That's the basic idea. Don't worry, I know some basic things. I had a teacher when I was younger, but I kept putting it off…now I wish I stayed with it," he said, laughing lightly.

He looked at the silver haired boy. He seemed slightly paler then normal, but his eyes were sparkling. "So, yes or no?"

"I agree that if you knew some things, you could actually help me out if anything happened. You wouldn't be a match for an assassin, but if it were just one of Tyki's thugs, I think you'd have a chance if we did. So, I think we can give it a try," Allen said, actually grinning.

Lavi grinned widely. "When can we start?"

ooo

"I'm so glad to be home," Komui said as Lenalee helped him up the path. He was still bandaged, but he could actually walk. His ribs ached—they were still very sensitive—but he could breath without it sending shots of pain up. Lenalee smiled.

"And there are some guests that I think you'll be happy to see," she said as they entered the house. He looked at her.

"Who?"

His question was answered when Bak fell—or was thrown—out of the library doors, to land in a crumbled heap.

"You're no help!" Fo's voice could be heard.

"You didn't have to kick me!" he called back, holding his head. Then he pushed himself off the floor and looked around, grumbling. But when he saw Komui and Lenalee, his expression brightened.

"Komui!" he said happily, coming over to them. Fo poked her head from the library door and then came out.

"Bak! I haven't seen you in a long time," Komui said, embracing Bak then turning to Fo. "Its lovely to see you."

"Same here…but seems that your still healing," Fo said, raising a slender eyebrow and looking at his bandages. He nodded, but was still smiling.

"But I'm glad that I can come home!" he said happily.

"No bouncing around," Lenalee said sternly.

Komui looked over at his younger sister. "Always keeping an eye on me, aren't you?" he asked jokingly. "I promise, I won't do anything, sister."

Lenalee smiled, then glanced around. "Where's Lavi and Allen?"

"I believe that both young men are outside, in the back courtyard," Fo said. "And don't ask me why, because I don't know. They were just kind enough to tell us that they were going out there."

Lenalee giggled. "Ok…I'll go out and look. Komui, what do you want to do?" she asked, looking at her brother.

"I think I'll catch up on some stuff with my old friends," Komui said, smiling, looking at Bak and Fo, who nodded.

The girl nodded and headed down the hall, leaving her brother and his friends. She slipped through the kitchen, since it was the fastest way to get to the back courtyard, and pushed the door open.

The stone patio was visible. Snow had been pushed aside, so that the boys had a clear space to stand. She wondered why they were back here, but then thought that maybe it was because it was more private. It would be harder for someone to see Allen if he were back here, instead of in the front.

"Try again, Lavi," Allen was saying as she came out onto the cobblestone patio. She looked around and saw him standing in the middle of the patio, slightly tense. Lenalee watched as Lavi tried to hit him. Allen slid away easily, dropping down and spinning around, his hands on the ground, one leg outstretched to knock Lavi's own feet out from under him.

Lavi jumped quickly, barely getting out of the way. But as he landed, Allen kicked him in the stomach and he stumbled backwards. Lavi let out a startled yell and crashed to the ground.

Allen was actually grinning. He looked happy! Lavi pushed himself up to a sitting position.

"Nice try," Allen said, giving Lavi his hand so that he could pull him off the ground.

Lavi grunted, taking the gloved hand. But as he took it, he yanked Allen down. Allen twisted his arm in Lavi's grip and pushed off Lavi.

"Uff!" Lavi grunted in surprise as Allen flipped over him. He had used Lavi's shoulder as a base to push off and the redhead was forced to the ground. Then Allen landed quickly and pressed his boot onto Lavi's neck.

"I win," he said, looking down at Lavi. Lavi grinned up at him.

"If this was an actual fight, I take it that I would be dead," Lavi said as Allen took his foot off of his throat.

"What're you guys doing?" Lenalee asked, even though she could see that they were dueling.

"Miss Lee!" Allen said, startled, looking around in surprise.

"Dueling, of course. I want to learn how to fight better," Lavi said, standing up and rubbing his neck.

"He's actually pretty good," Allen commented, still grinning. He seemed more at ease. Lenalee smiled.

"Except I haven't gotten you once," Lavi said, brushing himself off. Allen just grinned.

"I've been doing this for a long time," he said. "I know you didn't realize it, but you almost dislodged my dagger."

"What?" Lavi asked, looking up at Allen.

Allen slipped the silver dagger from its hidden sheath. Lenalee hadn't even _seen_ it there…it had been well hidden.

"When you grabbed me," Allen explained. "You almost pulled it out, on accident."

Lavi looked puzzled. "Really? I didn't even _feel_ it. But what happened after happened so fast, I kinda forgot about it if I had felt it."

"What happened?" Lenalee asked.

"He grabbed me," Allen said.

"And he wriggled free like a fish, seriously," the redhead said. "He's amazing. And he's stronger than he looks."

"I'm flattered," Allen said. "Just takes practice…"

"…and magyk," Lavi added.

Allen froze, then relaxed. "Yes, that too. But if I'm not mistaken, you have some too."

The older boy shrugged. "I guess so…not as much as you though."

"So, are we going to continue?" Allen asked. Lavi nodded, then swung his leg around, kicking Allen's hand, which was holding the dagger.

Lenalee sat down on one of the benches to watch, slightly amused but also happy. Lavi wanted to help, she knew that. And this way, he could help and not just be in the way. She knew that if he was doing something, Lavi had to do it well. And it seemed like he was.

The dagger fell from Allen's hand, skidding across the stone. Allen lunged towards it, but Lavi grabbed it before he could reach it and slid backwards, out of the assassin's way. Allen watched Lavi carefully. The redhead spun around and slashed the dagger. The silver haired boy easily moved out of the way…and suddenly he was behind Lavi. He grabbed Lavi's forearm and twisted it behind Lavi's back. Lavi let out a yell of surprise and the dagger fell from his hand.

"How-how'd you _do_ that?" Lavi panted. Allen gripped Lavi's arm tighter, forcing him onto his knees. "Ah! I give in!"

"Assassins would just kill you," Allen said, letting Lavi go and picking up his dagger.

"Ow…" Lavi muttered, rubbing his now bruised arm. "You're really strong, Allen. You don't look it, but you're like a loaded gun, with all that strength."

Allen raised a silver eyebrow. "Loaded gun? You mean, like this?" he asked, a grin plastered onto his face. His dagger disappeared into its sheath. His gloved hand pulled something from under his jacket, clicking it as he did so.

Lavi and Lenalee both stared.

"How many weapons do you have?" Lenalee asked softly as Allen slipped the gun back into its holster.

"Enough," he murmured. "Never know what you'll need."

"I guess you have a point, in your line of work," she said, standing up. Allen watched her. Lavi had seized the chance to sneak up on him, and was now behind him. Lenalee kept her eyes on Allen's face not to give Lavi away.

Then Lavi grabbed Allen from behind. Allen tried to twist, but Lavi held him tightly. Then Allen slumped.

"Haha!" Lavi said triumphantly. Lenalee didn't think that Allen was defeated yet. And in a single motion, Allen jerked his head up, hitting Lavi.

"Ow!" Lavi let go of Allen, a hand on his face. He staggered backwards, his eye watering. Allen turned, an eyebrow raised.

"You're not very stealthy," Allen commented.

"My nose!" the older boy said indignantly. Allen shrugged. "You attacked me," he said.

Lenalee giggled. "He's right, Lavi. You attacked him," she said, laughing.

Lavi dropped his hand. He stood still for a moment, then rammed Allen. With a surprised yell, Allen twisted. His feet got tangled and he slipped on a puddle, falling onto the ground.

"Did he actually get you that time?" Lenalee asked, coming over to Allen.

"Lets say he did," Allen said, grinning at Lavi. "I wasn't prepared for that and then I slipped."

Behind Lenalee, Lavi was celebrating his small victory. Allen shook his head, then turned back to Lenalee.

"Here," Lenalee extended a hand and he took it with his left. She pulled him up, but felt the glove slide off and she stumbled backwards, holding it.

Allen gasped. Lenalee and Lavi both stared at his left hand. "Oh…" she murmured.

* * *

A/N: Thank you for reading! I hope I kept them in character, because I thought that some where ooc, but I try. Please review, feel free to ask questions. I don't own D.Gray-Man


	15. A New Player

A/N: Thank you for waiting. Here is chapter 15 for you. It's a little shorter than the normal chapter, but since chapter 14 was slightly longer, I thought it would be fine. This chapter just about killed me, and I don't even know why. Please enjoy! R&R

Chapter 15: Day 15 -- A New Player

* * *

Allen stared at Lavi and Lenalee, eyes flashing slightly in defiance. He stood silently, hand at his side, as both of them stared at it.

Lenalee was the first to drag her eyes away from it.

"Is that…why your parents left you?" she asked softly. He clenched it silently, then flexed the red fingers. To Lenalee, it looked like some sort of tattoo, or maybe a burn. The nails were black, a shiny black, and it would've looked like normal fingernails if not for the color.

"Whoa," Lavi finally said, still staring at the hand.

"I thought so," Allen said, his voice slightly cold. "Always like that…scared, freaked out, shocked…all of them."

"Your parents left you because of that," the dark haired girl repeated. "Why?"

Allen laughed, and it was a harsh, cold laugh. Very unlike his true laugh. He said, "People don't like what they can't understand, or can't control. My parents didn't understand why it was _their_ son who was different. They couldn't control that my left hand came out…wrong."

Lenalee and Lavi looked at each other. "Wrong?" Lavi asked.

"People didn't like my arm," Allen continued, not paying attention to Lavi's question. "They said it was horrible, or hideous, or unnatural. Sometimes they would hurt me."

Lenalee stared at him, eyes wide. "Hurt you?" she asked in a small voice.

"Yes. But then Mana came, and everything got better, and then he died…and then Cross came, and said that I had magyk, more than a lot of people. And he said that I would be perfect!" Allen said. "But he didn't tell what I would be perfect for! And I haven't had a true friend since Mana died…"

"What about us?" Lavi asked, sharply.

"What?" Allen asked, taken aback.

"We're your friends, aren't we? You don't see us calling you a freak or throwing things at you or running away, do you?" asked the redhead. Silver eyes blinked several times then Allen shook his head.

"I just thought…"

"We're different. We've seen what you can do. Your still Allen, with or without that," he said, motioning to Allen's hand. "Yes, ok, it was a bit startling at first. I've never seen a hand like that…but I'm not running away.

Lenalee nodded in agreement. "You've saved my life and you've given me information on Tyki…" she said. "I don't care if your hand is different."

Allen bowed slightly. "I…thank you…I don't know what to say. Truly," he said, looking down.

"Just one question," Lenalee said. "May I…touch your hand?"

He looked startled, but nodded and she came over to him. He extended his hand and she took it, running slender fingers down his red ones. "What does…it feel like?" he asked cautiously.

"Not like skin," she said. "But…like skin. I don't know. It's just different. Its not frightening."

Allen smiled weakly just as something inside him called a warning that not everything was perfectly normal.

"Well," drawled a voice. "That was very interesting. Didn't know you were so interesting, Moyashi…But I have to say, if you wanted a _private_ conversation, or a private place to teach ninjin head here, I'd have picked somewhere else."

All three people turned quickly at the sound of the voice, Allen pulling something from under his jacket. He should've been more alert!

"You're not very observant either," the young man commented. "I'd have thought that at least _you_ would notice me."

"Kanda!" Allen finally said, lowering the gun he had pulled out. The longhaired young man raised an eyebrow and jumped gracefully down from the stone wall that surrounded the Lee Estates.

"You really need to pay more attention," he said, looking at Allen.

"Its _him_!" Lavi said, stepping backwards after a minute or two. Both Allen and Kanda turned to him.

"What?" Allen asked.

"Him!" said Lavi again, motioning to Kanda. Kanda raised a dark, navy blue-black eyebrow.

"Whatever," Kanda muttered, then looked at Allen.

"Those were from you then," Allen murmured. Kanda nodded slowly.

"Warning you. Didn't seem to work though," he said, leaning against a tree. He watched the three carefully.

Lavi and Lenalee both looked from one assassin to another. _The letters_, both thought at the same time.

"When…did you see me?" the silver haired young man asked nervously. Kanda snorted.

"Well, I noticed that you were with them when…before…_that_ happened," he said, faltering slightly. Allen knew what he meant. "And then I just happened to see you out and about and you went here…and then I saw you come here again! Seriously, if someone watched you, it'd be easy to see that your loyalties are _not_ safe to trust."

Allen gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. "Are you going to tell Tyki?" he hissed.

"If I was going to do that, I would've already," Kanda said flatly.

Allen stiffened. "Then why haven't you?"

"Because I hate that man. Just as I know you hate him. And I know you want to get rid of him," Kanda said. "And I know that you—" he motioned to Lavi "—and you—" he motioned to Lenalee "—want to get rid of him as well."

"You're going to help us?" Lavi asked.

"Yes," he said. "I warned you in those letters. You have to be more careful, Moyashi."

Allen nodded. "I have…been less considerate than usual," he said truthfully.

"You have to work harder though," Kanda said, looking at Lavi. When Lavi jumped, he made a 'che' sound. "You're slow…"

ooo

Tyki lounged in his chair, leaning back with his feet on his desk. He was waiting for one of his boys to tell him something _interesting_. He had been waiting since he had come back. He _had_ received word that there was panic throughout the town. That was good. And at least they had told him that the Police Station was completely removed. He smirked wickedly.

He slid the deck of cards from his breast pocket and started shuffling them, then pulled one out at random. He stared at the Ace of Hearts, turning it slowly in his fingers.

The slender man had just slid the card back into the deck when he heard voices outside the door. One he recognized as his doorman, Mr. Waver. He had a distinct, gruff voice that Tyki could probably recognize almost anywhere. And his grammar was preposterous.

"No n' is permi'ed to see 'im," Mr. Waver said, eloquent as always with how he spoke.

Tyki rolled his golden eyes, listening to the conversation.

"Pretty please may I go in? I promise to be good!" a younger voice said, the Gurrington accent easily heard. His lips curved into a small smile. He hadn't seen _this_ visitor in many months.

"No!" said Mr. Waver again, slightly more harshly. Tyki stood quickly and walked over to the door.

"Mr. Waver, when I asked you to watch who came and went, did you think I meant to watch young girls as well?" he asked as he opened the door. Mr. Waver jumped.

"S'ry Boss, but she…" he drifted off at the look in the taller man's eyes.

The girl standing there had a large pink and purple swirled lollipop in one hand, a pale pink, pumpkin-topped umbrella in the other. She looked up at Tyki, smiling widely. He smiled as well, then was knocked backwards as she hugged him, calling his name shrilly.

"Road!" Tyki said, hugging her back and then disentangling himself from her. Some of the men, including Mr. Waver, stared in shock at seeing a softer side of their boss, but one hard look from the golden eyes sent them off to what they had been doing. He closed the door.

"Hi, Tyki," the girl said. He turned around to find her sitting in his chair.

"This is a rather pleasant surprise," he said, chuckling as he came over to her.

"Isn't it always pleasant to see your little sister?" she asked, her lower lip protruding in a pout.

He chuckled again. "Of course. It's just a surprise. I haven't seen you since last year. Why the sudden visit?"

"You don't want me here!" said Road, eyes wide.

"I didn't say that!" he said quickly, then sighed and regained his composer. Road grinned from behind her lollipop. She could make him flustered so easily. She wondered if she was the only one who could do that. She knew he would get her back somehow, but for right now, she just enjoyed making him like that.

"There must be some reason that my 15 year old younger sister comes all the way from Gurrington alone. It takes 12 hours to get here from there," Tyki said, leaning against his desk to look at his sister.

Road just shrugged. "I needed to get away from the others. They've been more…energetic than I could stand, isn't that a surprise?" she asked, giggling.

"Yes, actually," he said.

"Oh, the twins say hi, Uncle wonders if you'd _ever_ come to visit and the other two don't say much at all," the girl said, waving her hand airily as she went though the other members of the family. Tyki grimaced.

"When you go back, you can tell them hello, but I'm _not_ going back. You know how much I dislike staying there, Road," Tyki said. Road nodded.

Of all the siblings, besides the twins, Tyki and Road were the closest. Road was the only one that Tyki could actually stand.

"Why are you here, though?"

"I came to say hi, since it's been so long, and also to see if you were up to anything…evil," she said, narrowing her eyes slyly. He raised an eyebrow.

"Evil? Is that what you think of me?" he asked. "I'm crushed."

"No…but if you _are_ planning on something fun, include me. I've been bored to tears for so long…school ended and Uncle is trying to get me to be 'ladylike' as he puts it," she said with a pout.

Tyki laughed lightly.

"Anyone fun to play with?" she asked.

"I only have my assassins, my dear sister, but I don't want you messing with them," he said, a warning light in his golden eyes, so much like his sisters.

"And why not?" she asked innocently. "Wouldn't they just _love_ me?" She put on the cutest face that a 15-year-old could make. It was a look that could get her anywhere, and she knew it.

"That look will get you anything," he said with a sigh.

She made a soft sigh. "I know," she said. "But apparently it didn't work."

"They're dangerous, Road," he said.

"I'm not _helpless_, Tyki!" she said fiercely. He nodded absentmindedly.

"I know that," he said to her, "but they _are_ dangerous. And they could hurt you. And they have important jobs to do. I don't want you messing them up!"

She scoffed, licking her lollipop as she thought.

"You can give this to one of them though, if you want to meet him," Tyki said, pulling a letter from an inside pocket. He had been meaning to give it to a messenger, or the one in question himself if he came around, but since Road wanted to do something, let her do it, a small voice told him.

She lit up, sitting up. "Really!" she asked happily, taking the letter.

He nodded. "He shouldn't be too hard to find, even though he's an assassin," he told her. "And I trust that it would be easier for you. Have fun."

She got to her feet happily and skipped around the desk, pausing to give her older brother a hug before disappearing from the room. Every table froze, watching the young girl skip merrily through their midst. Some, who had seen the Boss's deadly glare, looked away.

Once outside, she opened up the pale pink umbrella—it had started drizzling—and headed off, letter in her pocket.

ooo

Allen was heading back to his apartment when he was passing a café. He hadn't been to one in ages. Maybe it would be good for him. He also didn't feel like returning too soon to his gloomy apartment and it had started to rain.

So there he was, silver hair slightly wet, sitting by the fogged window of the small café, an almost empty cup of coffee in front of him. He stared out of the window, watching people hurry along the street, while half paying attention to what happened behind him in the small restaurant.

The chatter of normal, carefree people was rather boring, but he did catch snippets of conversation about the police station, and people going missing or dead.

Allen just shrugged it off. At least Kanda hadn't told the boss. He couldn't even think of what he would do. He shuddered. The best thing he could do was stall for time, help Lavi learn more fighting techniques, and keep Miss Lee alive. Which, summing that all up in one, easy sentence, was very hard.

He sighed, picking up his cup and swirling it around, but having no intention of finishing it off. Someone had just entered the café. Allen looked out the window as the person walked up to the front and ordered something.

It was getting worse, the rain was. He blinked slowly, then looked around at the sound of a young voice.

"Excuse me," she asked. "May I sit with you?"

Allen looked at the young girl. She couldn't have been much younger than he was. She held a mug in one of her hands; the other occupied by a large lollipop.

"No, of course not," he said. Something about this girl reminded him of someone else…but he couldn't remember who. He couldn't quite place her accent, but that also reminded him of that someone.

"Thanks," she said and sat down across from him, smiling widely. "Its drizzly out there."

He nodded absentmindedly, staring out the window again.

"Oh, I think we have a friend in common," the girl said, leaning forward and resting her elbow on the table while taking a sip from whatever drink she had.

"Oh really?" he asked, surprised, and turned to look at her.

She nodded, smiling at him. "And he asked me to give this to you, Allen Walker," she said, sliding the letter across the table.

"What is it?" he asked her, suspicious.

She shrugged. "I dunno! I'm just the messenger."

Carefully he slid his finger under the red seal and opened the letter. In a careful cursive type, one that he recognized immediately, was one paragraph.

_Dear Mr. Walker,_

_I have sent this, to warn you, about an…affiliation that I have noticed. This is just a friendly warning, Mr. Walker. I have noticed that you have been hanging around a certain redheaded young man. This is not healthy. Trust me…I'm watching you Allen Walker. _

_Don't screw up again._

And of course, he didn't sign it.

Allen closed the letter while trying to cover his rising panic. He looked up to see the young girl staring at him, a playful light in her deep, golden eyes. That's why she looked familiar!

"You aren't related to the man who wrote this, are you?" he asked slowly.

The girl finished her drink, then set the empty cup on the table, eyes never leaving him.

"You guessed right!" she said. "Tyki's my brother."

"I didn't know…he had a sister," he said quietly. "Well, Miss Mikk—"

"But there, your wrong," she said, interrupting him. He looked at her in confusion. "My last name isn't 'Mikk'. Only Tyki has that name."

"What?"

"I'm Road Kamelot," she said. "We're brother and sister, but we don't have the same last name…never wondered why…"

Allen watched her. If she was anything like her brother, then he should be worried. Tyki had the ability to pull magyk from people…what could this girl do? As if she knew what he was thinking, she answered, "I'm just Tyki's kid sister."

The silver haired boy blinked.

"I'll send your regards to him, then," she said, standing and winking. "I'll see you again sometime Allen!"

Allen stared after her, blinking quickly to figure out what had just happened. He glanced down at the letter. "I need to tell Lenalee…" he murmured to himself. He left a tip on the table and left the café and out into the rain.

* * *

A/N: What did you think? Thank you for reading, please leave a tip--or review (even better)-- on your way out!

ninjin Carrot

I don't own D.Gray-Man.

* * *


	16. Shadow Speak

A/N: Here's chapter 16! Ok, the first time I wrote this, it was rushed. I fleshed it out a bit, and I hope its not so rushed as it was before. I don't think it is. Well, please R&R! I hope you like it!

Chapter 16: Day 15 cont. -- Shadow Speak

* * *

The silver haired assassin was panting when he reached the Lee Estate. He entered the hallway, dripping wet. The rain had increased on his way to the house and he had ended up running the entire way.

"H-Hello?" he called softly, still panting.

Lenalee's head appeared from one of the sitting rooms, her eyes wide. "Allen? You're back so soon!" she said in surprise.

He nodded, regaining his breath.

"And you're soaking."

He nodded again. "I had to come," he said, still slightly breathless. "Tyki sent me…a letter." He handed it to her. She read it quickly, eyes narrowing. "And there's another…complication."

"A new player," Fo's voice echoed through the hall. "Someone powerful."

"She was just a girl," Allen said to the older woman. "Younger than me."

"Don't judge a book by its cover," Fo said. "I wouldn't say you would be deadly, but you are."

Allen nodded. "So, she's dangerous," he said. Fo nodded. "She'd have to be. Apparently she's his _sister_."

"Even worse," Fo said. "She's connected to him. He doesn't care about what happens to his men, even his assassins, as long as they don't give him away, but if she's here, and his sister…they're emotionally attached. Makes them both more dangerous."

Allen thought for a moment. His mind raced. If Road was with Tyki, and she had some sort of power, like her brother, then it was very bad. If they found out that he wasn't going to kill Lenalee…that he was actually _working_ for her, he'd be killed.

"I think you should come and stay here," Lenalee said suddenly.

Both Fo and Allen looked at her, eyes widened in surprise. "What?" he asked.

"You should come stay here," she repeated. "Think about it. Kanda saw you coming to my house. Others could see you too. But if you're already _here_ then you don't have to come here. And you can go if you need."

Allen opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again, thinking. "Well…it might be…easier," he said, looking at Lenalee. "I'm going to need to get some things though. But I can get those later."

While he had been talking, Fo had disappeared into the room she had been in before. The silver haired assassin could hear murmured voices. He fell silent and he moved slightly, shifted his magyk, so that he could hear them more clearly.

"…new came," Fo was saying. "His sister."

"Sister?" That was Bak. And there was something in his voice that made Allen freeze, his eyes flickering to the door. There was a moment of silence.

"Yes, sister," Fo agreed. "This is bad."

"Road Kamelot," Bak said matter-of-factly. Ignoring Lenalee's startled protests, Allen burst into the room. Bak and Fo looked around.

"You know her," he hissed. "You know her and you didn't tell me!"

Both regarded him calmly. "Yes, we've heard about her," Bak said.

"This could be life or death," he hissed. Inside the shadow was growling dangerously. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"We were discussing it," Fo said. "We would've explained it after our discussion but you burst in here, interrupting us."

"Listening," Bak said flatly.

Allen closed his mouth silently. Lenalee was looking back and forth.

"But he wasn't even close to the door! And all I could hear was murmuring and I was right next to the door," she said.

"He heard us," Fo said. "That magyk of theirs helps them."

It was Lenalee's turn to close her mouth silently, stunned. She didn't know that. That magyk could do that. She looked over to Allen, who now looked uncomfortable.

"I don't do it often," he said. "But it helps…on a job."

Lenalee nodded quickly, not wanting him to continue. She didn't think that he would, but he might, and she didn't want to hear about that stuff. She turned back to Bak and Fo. "You know about her? This sister of Tyki?"

"Yes. We've actually kept a tab on her," Fo said. "But apparently she slipped through. We didn't know that she had left Gurrington."

"Gurrington?" Lenalee asked.

"Its about 12 hours from here, if you go very fast…that's where she lives," Bak said.

"But why would you keep track of her?" Allen asked warily.

"Because she's dangerous," Fo said simply.

"What does she do?" Allen asked. He needed information. It might help him. It might help all of them.

Bak and Fo glanced at Lenalee. She blinked several times.

"I have a right to know this," she said, understanding the look that they gave each other after glancing at her. "It's my life that we're talking about…well, that Tyki wants to take out. You can't push me away."

They couple nodded. "Yes."

"We think that she may have the ability to…do things with someone's mind. There have only been two incidents—that we know of—including Road," Bak said. "Afterwards, the…the victims were insane. They kept muttering and such…like they had been tortured. But they weren't even touched."

"She's a very dangerous girl. She's only 15, but age doesn't matter," Fo said, looking at Allen. He had started when he was 12. He knew better then anyone that it didn't matter how old you were.

Allen nodded. He thought for a moment, going through the small amount of information that he had been given, to the things that he already knew. He was already in danger of being watched. The letter told him that.

He didn't know what to do…this was a very slippery slope. One wrong step and he'd slide down.

They were all watching him silently, seeing the subtle face changes that he made while running through different options. None were very good options.

ooo

Tyki was restless. His sister had gone off somewhere, after promising that she wouldn't touch the assassins. He wanted to do something as well. He walked through the rain, eyes darting here and there. A small part of him pitied the person who crossed his path.

He grinned. He was passing the remains of the police station now. It was just black rubble, turning sticky and acrid smelling in the rain. They hadn't even started cleaning it up.

The tall man was walking past a park when movement caught his eye.

"That should work!" the sound of a boyish voice echoed even through the rain. "We could find him!"

"Are you sure?" another, more wary voice said. Tyki headed for the voices. The owners of said voices came into view. Two boys, around 12, were under a thick clump of trees, under an umbrella. They were talking, and one, with a pilot's hat, was pointing at something in his hand.

Tyki's grin widened.

"Of course I'm sure!" the first said. "Leo, trust me!"

"Ok, but if we get in trouble, its your fault John," Leo said. John just waved a hand airily.

"We won't get in trouble," he said.

"My, my, my…what are two young boys doing out here in the rain?" Tyki said silkily, walking over to them. "Alone, without parents?"

John looked up, startled, then relaxed after taking in Tyki's appearance.

"We're planning!" he said. Apparently, Tyki looked trustworthy in his expensive clothes.

Tyki raised an eyebrow under his top hat. "For what, may I ask?"

"We're going to catch the guy who blew up the police station!" Leo said, excited this time. Both young boys bounced slightly at the prospect.

Tyki couldn't keep the grin off his face. But they didn't notice. John was writing something and Leo was watching.

"How are you going to do that?" he asked the boys.

"It's a secret…" John and Leo said, closing the book.

"How nice," he said. "You shouldn't be out here…You know, dangerous people lurking about in the rain."

They both looked at each other nervously. He grinned wider. They saw it this time and their eyes widened.

"We…were just leaving. Come on Leo," John said hurriedly, tugging at Leo's arm.

"Why leave?" Tyki asked. He walked closer, so that he could see their expressions. They shuffled backwards, eyes very wide. They could tell that this man was not the trustworthy one that he had seemed at first glance.

"Who are you?" John asked.

"Tyki Mikk, at your service," he said, bowing slightly to them. They all but passed out when they heard that. They knew who he was.

"Y-you're…the…" John drifted off, eyes wide. Both boys moved backwards, hitting the trees.

"That I am," Tyki said. He walked forward fluidly, pulling a long slender silver dagger from its sheath. The boys stared in fear. "Why don't you play with me?"

ooo

Lenalee put the bowl down, going to get more flour. She turned and let out a startled scream, almost dropping the spoon she held.

"What is it?" a voice called from another room.

But Lenalee had already calmed down. He had just startled her.

"It's ok," she called. "I just got startled…"

"Sorry," Kanda said, amusement in his eyes. "Didn't mean too. Just my nature."

"Its fine," she asked, getting the flour and going back to the bowl. Kanda watched her. "Why're you here though?"

"Because I need to tell Moyashi something," he said flatly. Lenalee looked at him carefully. He was soaked and dripping on the kitchen floor. He was also trailing mud.

"Very sneaky," she commented, pointing at his boots. "It'd be easy to follow…" She drifted off at the look in Kanda's eyes. "Come with me…he's here somewhere."

She set the bowls down and dusted her floury hands off on her apron then walked from the kitchen. Even muddy and wet, Kanda was almost completely silent as he followed her.

"All—" Lenalee started to call, but the silver haired young man was already in front of them.

"Kanda," he said simply, looking at the other.

"Tyki's been out having a little fun," Kanda said.

Lenalee's eyes flickered back and forth between the two assassins for a moment. It looked like Allen knew what Kanda meant. She frowned slightly, then hurried off to get Lavi.

"What'd he do?" Allen asked, watching Lenalee leave.

"What else would he do?"

"Did he blow up any more buildings?" Allen asked, raising an eyebrow.

Kanda glowered at him. "No. But this time it was two little kids."

Allen's eyes widened. "He killed two kids?!"

"Have you ever doubted that he could do that?" Kanda hissed. "He's restless…that's why he's doing this. You should know that he gets like this when he knows something's happening. You've been with him longer than I have."

Allen nodded. He'd seen Tyki like this before. Sending messages of warning, going out and killing just because he could. He was dangerous when he was like that. _Well,_ Allen thought_, more dangerous_.

It meant that he knew something. Or had a vague idea that something was happening.

Allen clenched his jaw. "How long until he figures it out? You know he gave me the job to kill Miss Lee," he said. Kanda nodded.

"Yes. I don't know how long…but its been a couple days since he gave you the job, right? He's probably wondering why you haven't killed her yet," Kanda said.

"I'm not going to kill her," Allen said, eyes flashing.

"I know that," snapped Kanda. "I'm just thinking what might be getting Tyki to act like this."

Allen nodded.

"Tyki's acting odd?" Lenalee asked. She had returned, still wearing her apron, with Lavi. He looked curious, looking at Allen and Kanda, his green eye glittering.

Allen nodded again. "Yes…"

"Well, odd in his homicidal kind of way," Kanda muttered darkly.

"What did he do?" Lavi asked, looking at the dark haired assassin.

"Killed two kids," Kanda said. Allen glared at him for saying it so bluntly. Both Lenalee's and Lavi's eyes widened in shock.

"Why?" Lenalee asked softly.

"Because he wanted too," replied Allen. "As we were saying, he's getting…restless."

Lenalee and Lavi glanced at each other. They didn't quite know the full extent of that, but they could figure it out by the dark looks in Kanda's and Allen's eyes, and what he had done.

"That means you work harder," Kanda said sharply to Lavi. Lavi jumped slightly. "You should be able to defend yourself."

Lavi looked startled by the intensity of Kanda's eyes, but nodded.

"He's right. But I need to go talk to Tyki," Allen said. Lavi and Lenalee looked at him like he was crazy. "He'll be wondering why I haven't killed you yet. I need to make some sort of excuse."

"Go now, while he's actually back," Kanda said. Allen nodded and walked swiftly through the hall and disappeared through the door into the rain. Kanda watched him go, his face expressionless.

Allen walked swiftly through the rain; not caring about the wet that was drenching him through. He reached the alley and slipped through. It was a little more sheltered here.

He knocked on the door. It opened soundlessly and he slipped through quietly. He walked past tables and reached the back door.

Mr. Waver looked at him with mild surprise. "Boss. The Walka' boy," he called softly through the door.

"Let him in," Tyki's voice said and Mr. Waver nodded, opening the door for Allen, who stepped in quickly.

"So glad to see you, Mr. Walker," Tyki said. He was sitting behind his desk. Movement caught his eye and he turned. Road was sitting on the couch, playing with something in between her fingers.

Allen just nodded.

"You got my warning," Tyki said simply. It wasn't a question, it was a statement. Allen pulled the letter out of his pocket. Tyki smiled. "Good."

"What, you didn't trust me to find him?" Road spoke up. Her voice sounded slightly hurt.

"Its not that I don't trust you," Tyki said, speaking to her. "I was just double checking."

Allen didn't miss the soft look that came into Tyki's metallic eyes when he looked at his sister. Maybe he could use that…

His planning was interrupted by Tyki.

"I've been wondering," he said to Allen. "How is the job I gave you coming along?"

"Fine," Allen said, eyes glancing back to Road now and then. She was wearing the most peculiar expression.

"Taking your time, I see," Tyki said. Allen nodded.

"Safer, I thought, to take my time," Allen said. "So I don't mess up."

"Thoughtful as always, Mr. Walker," Tyki said, his eyes also glancing to Road. Allen frowned slightly, but then made his face blank again when Tyki looked at him. Something was up.

Allen was silent for a moment, thinking. "I heard about the children you took out," he said, his voice innocent. Tyki froze, then relaxed.

"I expect Kanda told you," he said. The silver head bobbed in a nod. "What can I say? I was bored."

Allen nodded again, slowly, still working through the look that Tyki had given Road, and then the expression on Road's face as she watched him.

"I just came here to tell you that I'm still working on it," Allen said finally, turning.

"Yes, thank you. And keep an eye out for your…friend," Tyki said, his lips curving into a dangerous smile. "Wouldn't want him getting…hurt…"

Allen stared at him for a moment and then turned completely and walked to the door. As he reached it, he shivered. The temperature had suddenly dropped.

"Something wrong, Mr. Walker?" Tyki asked, noticing Allen's pause.

"No, nothing," Allen said, keeping the nervousness out of his voice. He left the dim room and walked through the crowded, smoky room, still feeling chilled.

Leaving Tyki's building, he walked out into the street, out of the alley. It was still raining.

"Leave me alone," Allen muttered. He could feel those icy hands already. "Why do you always come for _me_?"

Then the Shadow roared inside him, rattling his heart and his mind until he was dazed. He put one hand onto a building wall for support and blinked the spots from his vision.

"Whoa…" he breathed.

_They're impatient_, the shadow growled dangerously as the buzzing in his head disappeared. He realized that the cold had disappeared, along with the icy hands he had felt.

"For what?" he murmured.

The Shadow was silent for a moment. Allen heard the soft growling deep inside him. How badly did he want that cursed shadow gone? _Your death_.

"W-what?!" he choked, leaning against the wall again.

_Your death_, it repeated and the two words echoed loudly in his head as he stared out at the rain, feeling the water roll down his face and hair.

* * *

A/N:Thank you for reading! Please review! Tell me what you think! I don't own D.Gray-Man


	17. The Game We Play

A/N: Wooh! Chapter 17 is done. But I fear...that I am nearing the end. I'm going to be sad when this is done, I really like writing this. But don't worry about that right now! Please read and review ch. 17! I don't one D.Gray-Man.

Chapter 17: Day 16 -- The Game We Play

* * *

Blank silver eyes stared across the street. It was still raining. Of course it was. It never did anything else.

"Dead…" he murmured, shaking his head violently to clear it, but all he did was make himself dizzy. "Damn it."

He pushed himself away from the wall and walked back. It was a gliding sort of walk, the way he stepped. He was still dazed. He didn't want to die, however much he hid it.

Finally he saw the rot iron gates with the curving 'L' for 'Lee'. He had reached them faster than he realized. He paused, finally getting his head straight.

Allen blinked quickly, clearing his eyes before entering the gates and walking swiftly up the path.

Lenalee was waiting at the door for him. Before he could even knock, she had opened it for him. He entered silently, shaking the water from his hair.

"What did he say?" she asked Allen.

Allen thought hard. _What had who said? Oh yeah, Tyki. That's why I was out there…_

"Not much," the assassin finally said. "I told him that I was taking my time, that I didn't want another screw up…" He didn't add that Tyki had openly threatened Lavi's life. He didn't want her panicking.

Lenalee nodded. "That should give us some time, shouldn't it?" she asked him. He nodded, frowning slightly and pulling his jacket off.

"What's wrong?" she asked softly, coming over to him and taking his jacket. He stared at her, thinking.

"Besides Tyki, nothing," he whispered. His face calmed slightly. He could do this. For her, he would kill Tyki. No one would mind, and why should _he_ care? He'd killed innocent people many times before. Tyki wasn't innocent.

"Stay here, please," Lenalee asked again. Allen sighed softly and nodded. She wouldn't let him go back.

"I'll…get my things tomorrow," he said to her. She nodded and led him to a room.

OoO

"Lavi, he wants you to go with him," Lenalee called through the large house to the redhead. Other heads stuck out as well. People kept coming. She wasn't used to so many people…it used to only be her, and the servants. Now it was her brother, his two friends Bak and Fo, Lavi and now Allen.

Lavi came running down the stairs and almost tripped on the rug. "What?" he panted, coming to a stop in front of the girl, who giggled.

"Allen wants you to go with him," she repeated.

Lavi's expression turned into a puzzled one. "Why?" he asked. She shrugged.

Fo disappeared once more from the door where she had been standing, going into the room. Bak stood there watching until Fo's sharp voice called him back into room.

"You need to get out of the house," Komui said, coming out. His arm was still bandaged, but he didn't limp so much.

"Look whose talk—"

"Lavi," Lenalee cut him off. "Komui can't leave. He got hurt, remember."

Lavi closed his mouth, nodding. "Yeah, yeah. But with our luck, we'll probably get attacked. Again. Why I followed him that first time is beyond me. No…why I dragged him along."

Lenalee sighed. "Because you wanted to be his friend," she reminded him.

"Oh yeah," he said. "Well, I _am_ glad that I decided to do that."

Komui chuckled, disappearing back into the library.

Allen listened carefully from his place in his room. He didn't want Lavi to be hurt, and he was afraid that if he left him alone, someone would get him. It was foolish, he knew, because Tyki wanted Lenalee dead as well.

_Is that all I do? The two people I got close to are in danger of being killed! I put everyone in danger!_

He argued with himself until he heard Komui go back into the library and then left his own room.

"Ready?" he asked. Lavi sighed and nodded.

"Dragging me along," he muttered to Allen, who smiled.

"Go on ahead Lavi, I need to talk to Allen for a moment," Lenalee said. Lavi rolled his eye and slouched out, going to the door.

"What's wrong?" Allen asked.

Lenalee looked down. He looked at her curiously.

"Allen, I—" she broke off, looking up. Her eyes were wide. He stared at her. "Just…just be careful."

He nodded slowly, then took a step closer to her. "I'm just…just getting my stuff," he said. "I won't be gone long."

"I know," she said quietly, looking up at him. He saw fear in her eyes. He knew that it wasn't fear for herself. It was fear for him.

"D-don't worry," he choked.

"But what if…something happens? And you and Lavi get attacked?" she asked.

He was silent for a moment, then without thinking he leaned down and kissed her lightly. "Don't worry, Lenalee," he said again, his voice stronger and then he rushed away from her.

The door closed with a snap, leaving Lenalee to stare after him. She touched her lips gently. Something was going to happen; she just knew it…why would he do that? And he called her by her name.

"What'd she want to talk about?" Lavi asked as Allen came to join him.

"Just wanted us to be careful, like we're going into battle or something," he said jokingly, but his tone was slightly darker than normal. Lavi took no notice and laughed.

"She worries too much," Lavi said as they headed out. Allen smiled, his thoughts still with the girl.

OoO

Allen had his bag ready in five minutes. Lavi watched, looking around carefully. His green eye traveled around the apartment, eyeing the weapons and such around.

Allen came back from his room, slipping something into his pocket as he did so. "I'm ready. We can go," he said after picking up something on the table and slipping it onto his person under his jacket.

Lavi missed what it was, but he nodded cheerfully and left, Allen following.

The sun peeked out from behind dark clouds as they walked down the street. Lavi was talking and Allen only needed to nod at appropriate times or make comments such as "hmm" or "yeah".

They were rounding a corner, half way back, when Allen tensed and stopped so suddenly that Lavi walked into him.

"What's wrong?" he asked, stepping backwards so that he wasn't so close to the silver haired young man.

Allen's head turned, looking back and forth, his eyes narrowed. "I don't know…something's up."

Lavi's face became serious. He felt a twinge of something, but couldn't quite figure it out.

"Come on," Allen muttered and started up again. Lavi followed swiftly. They were passing an alleyway when Lavi felt a tremendous change in magyk just as Allen let out a pained yell.

"Allen!" Lavi said, startled, as Allen fell sideways. He disappeared from Lavi's view as he fell into the mouth of the dead end. Lavi sped up and rounded the corner into the alleyway.

The scene froze for a moment as Lavi stared. Allen was on the ground, unconscious. A teenage girl stood beside him, a wicked smile stretched across her face. And then everything sped up once more and Lavi was knocked unconscious as well as the butt of a gun came into contact with his head.

OoO

Allen moaned. His head was pounding. What had happened? He pulled himself up slightly and opened his eyes.

What he saw made his blood run cold. He tried to pull away, but he was tied tightly.

"Now, now," Tyki's all too familiar voice purred and the man came into view from the shadows. "We can't have you running away, now can we?"

Allen gritted his teeth, trying with all his might to break free of his bindings. It was no use.

"You've probably found," Tyki said, blowing a small cloud of smoke, a cigarette in his gloved hand, "that you can't get out. I made sure of that."

"What did I do?!" he finally asked, his voice sharp. The shadow growled as well, joining its growl with his.

Tyki just watched him silently. Smoke drifted from the cigarette. It was dark wherever they were. The only thing that illuminated the area where they were was one light.

"We're in the warehouse, aren't we?" Allen asked in a growl. "What did I do?"

"Very good, Mr. Walker," Tyki said. "We are in the warehouse."

"Why?!" he asked.

"You know why," Tyki answered as the sound of voices came into earshot. "Oh, your friend has given us a lot of trouble, do you know that?"

Allen now picked out Lavi's angry voice.

"Get off me!" he growled. There was a thud and someone fell to the ground. Lavi let out a muffled yell.

"Bring him here," Tyki ordered.

A small group came into view, near the very edge of the light. Two of Tyki's men were holding onto Lavi tightly, who was doubled over. Allen figured that he had been punched in the stomach by the sound of Lavi's wheezed breathing. But one of the men had a large bruise starting on his cheek. At least Lavi had tried.

"Let him go!" Allen yelled, pulling on the ropes.

Lavi looked up, regaining his breath and looked at Allen.

"Why would I do that? I want this to be a message for dear Miss Lee, and we need a witness. I'm sure he'll remember," Tyki said, putting the cigarette out with his foot. He came over to Allen and leaned forward so that they were eye level.

"I should've known better than to trust you," he whispered. Allen stared back at him, not breaking eye contact.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" snapped Allen viciously.

Lavi watched, still panting. Did something happen when he was hit? He blinked quickly, but it didn't clear his vision. Allen was tied tightly, but ever so often he flickered and Lavi could see something—some sort of creature—there instead. But he couldn't see it clear enough. It was gone before he could get a clear enough look at it.

"Yes, I think you do," Tyki continued. "Instead of killing Miss Lee, which you could've done very easily, you _work_ for her. Even though you knew that you would have to kill her. No affiliating with the enemy."

"You don't own me! I can get jobs else where," Allen hissed.

"Oh, but its against the rules to work for my enemy, when you were ordered to kill her," the gang leader said. "You know that."

Allen fell silent, his jaw locked. He couldn't even open his mouth. He didn't know what to say. How did he find out?

"You're probably wondering how I figured it out," Tyki continued as if he had read his mind. "That's easy. You were thinking about it when you came to see me."

"W-what?" Allen whispered hoarsely.

"Oh, it wasn't me," Tyki said, "who found out. I can't go into your mind."

"Then…"

"Road, dear sister," he called out. A high pitched laugh came from behind Allen and he heard footsteps. "She can though."

Allen's eyes widened, fear filling them.

_Don't show him your fear, boy!_ The Shadow ordered sharply. But he couldn't stop it from showing. And couldn't Road see it? See what was hidden inside? He was so confused and afraid.

"What…are you going to do with him?" Lavi asked, breaking the silence. Tyki turned, a wide smile across his face.

"Just a little fun, my dear boy," he said to Lavi. "But first…" He turned back to Allen and pulled something from his pocket to dangle it in front of the young man tied before him.

"This is quite nice," he said. "Where'd you get it?"

Allen's eyes widened even more. "_Give that back_," he growled, eyes narrowing quickly.

_Yes, boy. Show anger, not fear._

"Why?" Tyki asked, turning the watch on the chain slowly so that the light glittered off of it. His gold eyes flickered back to Road for a second. "Oh, it's your fathers?"

Allen gritted his teeth, but stayed still. He had managed to get one of his hands free. If he could…only get the other one free as well.

"It's a very nice watch," Tyki purred, opening it.

Allen glared up at him, twisting his wrist. He felt it loosen. With a yell he broke free, pushing away from the chair, which clattered to the ground. Tyki slid backwards, out of the way of Allen, who moved forward towards Lavi.

Lavi watched, hope soaring inside him. Maybe they could get free. But they had no such luck.

Allen had only made it a third of the way across the room when he collapsed, a yell of pain escaping his lips. He went to his knees, both hands over his ears.

"Thank you Road," said Tyki, straightening his jacket and walking slowly over to Allen, who was still on the ground, his teeth clenched together, eyes shut tightly. He had slipped the watch into his pocket.

"No problem! We couldn't have him running away from the fun, now could we?" she asked happily. Tyki smiled at her and turned back.

"Let him go," he told her.

Lavi watched helplessly. Road had done something…

Allen went limp as Road's expression changed. He lay on the ground, panting as Tyki came over to him. He looked down at him.

"Now, don't go running out on us. We haven't even started," Tyki said, and flicked his wrist. More of his men came out and dragged Allen back to the chair. One tied him again, more tightly before.

Allen sat limply, his eyes out of focus, glazed with pain. Tyki pulled his head back so that he was forced to look into his eyes.

"That's better…" he said. "I just hope that you can hand more."

The silver eyes cleared slightly. "You're…not going to…get me so easily," he muttered, eyes glaring defiantly at Tyki. Tyki grinned.

"I'm glad for that," he said. "Now…lets have some fun."

OoO

Lenalee had decided to take a nap. It was better than pacing in her room, waiting for Allen and Lavi to return. She fell asleep curled against her pillows.

Her eyes fluttered open. It was dark outside. She frowned. It had been day when she fell asleep, had she really slept that long? She sat up, rubbing her eyes.

"Lenalee."

She looked around, startled, to the window. A figure stood motionless beside the dark window, a hand resting gently on the windowpane as they looked out.

"Allen?" she asked, standing and walking carefully over to him. He turned slowly. "You're back already?"

"What're you talking about, Lenalee?" he asked, looking out of the window. "Look at that…"

He motioned out of the window. Lenalee looked and gasped. It was the church, where she had first seen him.

"Strange, isn't it?" he asked. His voice sounded odd to her.

"What's strange?" she asked him. He was silent for a moment, watching the scene outside the window. Lightning flashed, illuminating the old building, the stone ribs that held its ceiling up.

"We met…so long ago," Allen said, turning to look at her as the lightning continued flashing with no sound and the scene played. A younger Allen stood beside the priest.

"I was scared of you," Lenalee said quietly, still watching the scene. The priest fell.

"You should be scared of me," Allen murmured. Lenalee looked over at him, surprised.

"Why—" she broke off.

The lightning had flashed once more. And in that split second, where everything was inverted, she no longer saw Allen but a monster standing in front of her. She gasped, but the light had already disappeared and it was Allen again.

"I told you," he said. "Its dangerous to be connected to me."

He was looking out of the window again. A creeping cold was filling the room, getting inside her. She shivered slightly.

"W-what? You've never told me that," Lenalee said, but somehow she could tell that he wasn't talking to _her_. She looked out of the window again.

The scene had changed. She saw Lavi and Allen standing there, talking. The Allen behind the glass said something, and the Allen beside her mirrored the way his lips moved, saying what he had said.

"I don't think its wise to be my friend," Allen said quietly. Lavi said something and then he continued. "Dangerous. People who know me, get close to me…end up getting hurt or killed. That's happened more than once, so stay away from me."

"I'm not going to stay away Allen!" Lenalee said, ignoring the cold.

He turned to look at her again. Outside, it became very black. A flash of lightning lit everything in the room and again Lenalee saw the monster.

"_You don't know what you're saying_," the monster hissed, the skeletal frame tensing slightly, the spines that came from its back flexing. Out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw a flicker of ghostly white, but when she glanced over, there was nothing.

"I know I want you to be with me always Allen!" she said, looking back at the creature. "I don't care about this!"

"_You don't care!_" the creature spat. "_It's not something you have a say on!"_

"I don't care about this!" she repeated, tears in her eyes. "Please."

For a moment it stared at her, silver eyes so like Allen's staring. Then it turned to the side, its jaws wide, needle like teeth glinting, and it roared. Again she had seen something from the corner of her eye. The thing looked like it was roaring at whatever had been there. The chill drew back slightly as the monster turned back to her.

"_You don't know what your saying!"_ it roared. Halfway through the sentence, it changed back into Allen and it was his voice shouting that to her. She took a step backwards.

"Dangerous!" he hissed. "I'm a monster. That's a monster. In me…not going away."

"W-what?" she whispered.

He turned fully towards her. She could vaguely see the shadow he cast. It was that of the monster, thin, skeletal, with its bone like legs and tail and spines.

"It's too late," he said and his voice was flat.

Lenalee's eyes widened. "No! Allen, no it's not!" she cried. His eyes were pleading.

"Forget about me."

* * *

Thank you for reading. Please review, I'll be happy to answer any questions. Readers who have voted on my pole, thank you. I'm still thinking of writing that. But I have decided to finish this first, before I start my cross over again. Thank you. Please review.


	18. Tortured Memories

A/N: I worked very hard on this chapter. I've been planning this chapter for a while and I finally reached it. I hope that you like it. This is _not_ the last chapter. Please read and review. _Disclaimer - I don't own D.Gray-Man._

Chapter 18: Day 17 -- Tortured Memories

* * *

Allen stared at Tyki, wondering what he would do. His thoughts flashed back to Daisya. That's what was going to happen to him. Suddenly the dream he had such a long time ago had a whole different meaning. It hadn't been telling him about Daisya. It had been telling him about himself.

But Tyki made no motion to do any such thing. He just smiled, his golden eyes sharp, and backed up, taking another cigarette from his breast pocket and lighting it.

"W-wha—" Allen started to ask, but was cut off as Road came around the chair and into his view. She smiled sweetly and bent down so that they could see eye to eye.

"Play nice, now," She said, her hands on his legs. Then she settled herself onto his lap, straddling him. For a moment she fussed over her skirt, then turned back to Allen, who was staring at her with large eyes.

Then she moved her hands up, drifting across his chest, up his neck and then brushed against his hair, above his ears. Her slender fingers hovered an inch away from his head, and then both hands touched gently, on either side.

Allen's eyes widened even more and he let out an odd pained moan. Lavi's eye widened as well as he heard the strange animal like noise.

"W-what's she doing?" he asked in a shaky voice. Road took no notice of him. All her attention was focused on Allen. The silver haired young man's eyes had closed.

"She can inflict pain from a distance, but if she's touching them, she can do so much more," Tyki said in an approving voice as he watched his younger sister. "Its more fun like this…"

Allen's vision was starting to blot out. Everything was getting blurry as he blinked. He could hear talking, but couldn't understand it. The only thing that he was conscious of was Road's fingers twined into his hair on either side of his head. The pain that had come when she first touched him was dulling now.

His whole world gave a sudden jolt and he fell into darkness.

Then slowly, things began to focus again, on a scene he thought he had long since forgotten. It was his first, strongest, and most terrifying memory. He had thought that he had buried it…and he had.

Allen hadn't thought of it in so long. But somehow Road had found it while going through his thoughts and memories.

This was a time before he was Allen Walker. A time before Allen. When he was just a young, terrified boy. He thought that he might have had a name, but if he did, he couldn't remember it.

The moon shown a bright, ghostly light upon an almost deserted alley. The boy was curled in the corner, hands over his eyes. An odd creeping chill had started to fill the alley, moving towards him.

It shouldn't be cold. It was summer. Even at night it should be moderately warm. He knew that much at least. But he knew that the chill was something completely different than that of changing weather.

He gave a mumbled cry, words unknown to him and pulled himself up into a tighter ball. The first icy hands had touched his arms.

He cried, trying to pull his arm from the frozen grasp. It was no use. It just tightened and gave him a jerk. With a yelp of pain and fear he fell to the ground, pulled out of his protective position.

He raised his head slightly, his eyes impossibly wide. All around him, filling the alley, were shimmering pearly figures. It was impossible to see if they were human or not, but if they were, they were horribly disfigured. They shifted and moved, pooled and trickled.

They advanced as he finally pulled his arm from the grip of the one that had him. He heard soft hissing and moans come from them as he scrambled backwards and hit the wall.

He curled up tightly, trying to shut them out and wish them to go away. What did they want? He had nothing!

And suddenly, the cold was vanishing. The hissing and moans turned into screeches. He looked up and saw them drawing back. Why?

Then his eyes widened as he watched in horror as part of a shadow detached itself from the rest and startled trickling towards the center of the alley. There it pooled, darker shadows inside the puddle of shadows.

It then crept upward, into the air. He watched in terror as it swirled and twisted, forming something. Whatever this thing was, it had scared the cold-bringers away.

But couldn't it be worse then the cold-bringers? It continued to solidify.

Finally it had finished its transformation from shadow to monster. The bone like creature stood tall in front of him, its eyes narrow and silver, just like his. Long spines extended from its back, which flexed. Taking a step forward, the creature closed the distance between it and him on six long limbs.

The tail whipped through the air, hovering for a moment, slicing back. It seemed to be keeping the cold-bringers back.

Then it bowed its head to him. _"You called me, boy…"_ it hissed, shaking its neck, its mouth barely open. _"…and I have come."_

He made a terrified cry just as the thing turned swiftly around. Something had entered the alleyway mouth. In an instant it was gone, vanishing back into the shadows.

The thing at the mouth of the alleyway turned out to be a man, peering curiously down. _Hello?_ he called…

There was a sudden jolt as the memory was pushed aside. Allen was vaguely aware again of Road before she picked another memory.

Allen opened his eyes wide in terror. "No! Mana! Please! Make it go away!" he cried, thrashing in his bed. He could hear his father murmuring comforting things to him but it didn't help.

His body coursed with fear. That shadowy monster had returned. He thought that it had gone away when Mana had found him but it hadn't. Now it was standing beside the bed silently, watching him carefully.

Why couldn't Mana see it?! It was right there! He didn't notice a familiar chill creeping into the room. The Shadow whipped its tail around, turning viciously and roared.

Allen screamed, eyes tight. Mana's arms closed around him, pulling him close.

A_llen…its ok, I'm right here, _his father murmured. Allen opened his eyes. The Shadow had disappeared, along with the chill. Allen gasped for air, sobbing into his father's shirt…

It shifted again. He could hear Roads childish laughter. He didn't know how much more he could take…it was boring down on him, crushing him in fear and memories that he didn't want to remember.

Allen was walking down the sidewalk, a girl beside him. He was proud of himself, being such a gentleman to be walking Miss Winna home. She had asked him too, and of course he said yes.

Even at age 10, he knew how to be polite. Mana had brought him up like that. A perfect gentleman.

_Allen,_ she was saying. _You're so nice! All the other boys aren't nice, but you are!_

Allen smiled widely. _They're mean,_ he said just as a chill crept in around them.

Winna's eyes widened and she grabbed his arm. _Do you feel that?_ she whispered. His eyes widened in surprise.

_You feel them too?_ he asked her in a hushed whisper.

She nodded. _Of course…they come and go…they're everywhere._

_What are they?_ Allen asked, holding her hand and walking faster. She matched his pace.

_Ghosts,_ she said. Allen's jaw dropped slightly.

_Really?_ he asked her. She nodded matter-of-factly.

Suddenly he wished for the Shadow, or more accurately, the Mother Shadow, as she had told him one meeting after he had screamed himself out and she hadn't left.

And then, passing an alleyway (they always gave him the chills anyway) he saw her, standing, half formed. And with a hiss, the ghost cold-bringers dispersed, not wanting to face the Mother Shadow.

Winna stopped suddenly, stopping Allen as well. _You made them go away!_ she said, startled.

_W-what?_ he asked, glancing back to the alley. The Mother Shadow no longer stood there.

_They're gone!_ she said. _You made them go away! You're my hero, Allen!_

That was the last thing that she said to him. The next day brought news that she had died of unknown causes. But Allen knew. It was the ghost cold-bringers. They had got her. They had been angry that the Mother Shadow had stopped them before they had been able to get Allen.

"Oh, how tragic," Road's voice said to him softly as everything melted away.

"Please…stop," he moaned.

"Oh, we're just starting," she told him, laughing shrilly and picking another memory out.

Allen sat across from his father in a train car, staring out of the window.

_Are you happy to be moving_? his father asked. Allen nodded happily, looking out of the window again. He heard his father chuckle.

_Oh yes,_ his father said to him, _I have something for you_.

_What is it?_ Allen asked as his father pulled something from his pocket. It was his gold watch. Allen gasped. _But that's your watch!_

_I want you to have it,_ his father said and handed it to his son. Allen held it carefully in his hands, looking it over, running his fingers across the surface.

_Thank you father!_ He said happily, smiling widely. It was then that he glanced outside the window. His smile fell and he became white. The Mother Shadow was running easily with the train on its long legs.

And then the train crashed into the large tree that had fallen across the tracks and it buckled, the cars bending. Mana let out a yell and grabbed his son…

-ooo-

Lavi watched, terrified. Allen's eyes were closed, his breathing coming in gasps. Sometimes he would utter a cry of pain or a whimper. Once he had pleaded for Road to stop.

But he didn't know if Allen had been back or not. Road had taken his mind away; he could feel that much from the magyk pulsing from the younger girl.

Allen flinched, letting out a sob as Road continued to twist her fingers. A cruel smile curved her lips.

-ooo-

…Allen pushed himself up and looked around. Everything was dusty and burning and acrid and frightening. His father lay over there. He didn't move. He was dead.

Why were they going faster now?

"Oh, you're already losing, are you?" Road asked. Oh, that's why.

He was sitting beside a gravestone: his fathers. He jerked in a sob. And suddenly the Mother Shadow was there. He looked up sharply, eyes blazing. He wasn't going to run away any more.

_GO AWAY!_ He yelled at the creature. She stood still before him, a little ways away. But when he yelled, anger deep in his young voice, her wide, sharp toothed mouth turned into a wide smile.

"_That tastes good,"_ she hissed to him.

He stood. The sky was black. The moon was white. He ignored the chill that had been slowly increasing. _I DON'T NEED YOU! I DIDN'T CALL YOU!_

"_Ah, but you did, child. And that…tastes oh so good,"_ she purred, moving closer. The ghost cold-bringers drew backwards as she advanced. "_Your anger…_"

And she ran at him. He let out a terrified yell as she crashed into him, but she didn't just crash, she went _into_ him. Pain lanced through his body. It felt like his heart was going to burst from his chest. Not enough room.

Everything seemed louder and faster than ever.

Cross was standing in front of him. _You'd be good,_ he was saying. _Good at what? _Allen wondered.

Images flooded in of their own accord, no longer needing the helpful shoves from Road. Faster. Black. White. Images blinked into life and then were gone.

The window was looming before him. He was crashing down. He was running with Lavi. He was talking to Kanda. He was kissing Lenalee. He was standing in the rain. He was getting the knife from his master. He was sitting in front of Mana's grave. He was laughing as Mana chased him around the house. Lenalee. Lavi. Lenalee…if he had been a different person, he would be with her now.

_Its over_, he thought.

And with that thought, every other memory crashed in around him, pounding him with feelings and noises and then with a tremendous cracking, they broke away, falling to the sides.

He was standing in a field, a hill in the distance. The field was covered with white and gray flowers, the sky was black. The moon was just a silver ring in the sky, black around it inside and out.

In his hands Allen held scraps. He looked at them, a feeling of lose filling him. They were pictures and words and everything from his life. And they were torn into pieces.

A gust of wind blew through, taking them. With a yell, he chased after them, but it was no use. They were already gone.

"This is an interesting place," Roads voice said and he turned to see her standing there, in the field with him, a little ways away.

"What…did you do?" Allen asked her.

"I did nothing, only helped you along," she said, smiling. "It didn't take much."

He blinked several times as a wind blew again, picking up the white and gray petals and swirling them through the air.

"Why did you do this?" he asked her.

"It was fun," she said, watching the petals.

"You couldn't have just left me alone!" he shouted, backing up. Suddenly one or two of the pieces of paper with his life fluttered back to him, landing in the palm of his hand. He closed his fist around them.

Road's eyes widened in surprise. "You had help!" she said accusingly. He stared at her, then felt something behind him and glanced back.

She was there. The Mother Shadow.

"_I told you…I would be here,_" she growled to him quietly. Road took a step backwards.

"No! That's not fair!" she said. "That's not _fair_!"

Allen looked at her in confusion.

"All that work! Useless! That's not _fair_! You cheated!" she cried. Allen blinked.

"What?"

"_Because I'm here_," the Mother Shadow growled. "_I spoiled her plans, boy._"

Allen stared at the creature, stepping away from her. She watched him carefully, and he saw, in her eyes, something that couldn't possibly be true. In her eyes…did she care for him?

"_Yes boy_," she said. "_I've tried…you're so hard to please._"

"But that…that can't be true!" he said loudly. Another piece of his life fluttered back and he snatched it back.

"ITS NOT FAIR!" yelled Road.

And then the Mother Shadow had turned away from Allen, clutching the scraps of paper, and turned to Road. Road's eyes widened.

"_Fair is something you don't deserve_," the Shadow roared. Then she lunged towards Road.

The girl screamed a blood-curdling scream, which echoed in Allen's head. He gasped, covering his ears and falling to his knees in the flowers. Road continued to scream as he heard the sound of ripping.

-ooo-

It had happened so suddenly. One moment Road was grinning widely and the next she had fallen from where she sat on Allen's lap to land on her back on the ground, screaming shrilly.

"No!" she screamed, eyes closed, thrashing. Tyki was there at once, eyes wide in shock as knelt beside his sister.

-ooo-

Allen gritted his teeth as the sound of the girls screams continued, along with the Shadow's roars. He looked up in time to see red splash the colorless world. Blood was splattering the flowers.

He gasped as the world gave a sudden jolt, falling sideways into the flowers once more.

The world shook. Road continued to scream and thrash.

Allen opened his eyes with a gasp. He found himself in the warehouse. He had done it, with the help of the Mother Shadow. Gotten away. But the girl's scream still echoed and he looked down.

Road was slumped against Tyki's chest, on the ground. Tyki was looking at her with worried eyes. The girl's eyes fluttered open slowly. She was panting hard, like Allen.

"What happened Road?" Tyki asked her sharply, once he saw that she was back. He hadn't noticed that Allen had regained consciousness.

"He…there's a Shadow!" Road spluttered out. Tyki's eyes narrowed and he looked up at Allen, who met his gaze with burning silver eyes.

Tyki stood, helped Road to a chair then walked over to Allen.

Lavi stared. Road had been in pain. And when that happened, Allen looked stronger. Right now, he looked like nothing had happened, besides being out of breath, glaring at Tyki.

"What did you do?" Tyki hissed.

"I didn't do anything!" Allen growled back. Tyki stared at him, then pulled one of his gloves off and reached forward. Allen's eyes widened in fear.

"So you've been playing with a Shadow?" Tyki asked, his fingertips hovering over Allen's chest, above his heart. "And you've hurt my sister."

He glanced back at Road, who was watching with slightly glazed eyes. "I should've killed you long ago."

And his hand slid into Allen's chest.

Lavi's mouth dropped. Tyki's hand was _in_ Allen's chest.

Allen let out a howl of pain, tensing violently. Tyki's eyes were cold as he closed his fist. Allen's howl cut short, turning into a gurgle. Lavi's eye widened in horror as blood appeared at the corner of Allen's lips, running down his chin in a thick river.

Allen's eyes were wide. They were no longer on Tyki. Lavi's stomach dropped as he realized Allen was staring at him.

Tyki twisted his hand slightly. Allen convulsed. To Lavi's surprise and horror, blood was running down the legs of the chair and pooling on the ground. Where was Allen bleeding?

With a last final jerk, Tyki pulled his hand from Allen. The assassin's eyes closed as he slumped, a convulsion racking his body.

Tyki stepped away, eyes burning. He watched Allen for a moment as more blood collected under the young man and then he opened his fist. The odd green orb glowed in his palm. Lavi gasped.

It was Allen's magyk. Raw magyk was…so much stronger than when it was in people. Lavi had to take a deep breath before he could look back at it again without passing out. Tyki was staring at it as it flickered. Lavi glanced back at Allen, who convulsed again.

Then Tyki slowly closed his fingers around the magyk.

"No!" Lavi yelled, but it was too late. Tyki's fingers closed completely around it and crushed it.

Allen gave a final howl.

"Untie him," Tyki ordered. One of the men moved forward, skirting around the blood, and cut the ropes. Allen slid sideways, landing on the ground. Lavi couldn't tell if he was breathing or not.

"You…killed him," Lavi whispered. "You _bastard_!"

But before Lavi could struggle free, he was hit hard in the stomach. He doubled over, wheezing before something hard hit the back of his head and he collapsed into darkness.

* * *

A/N: Thank you for reading. This chapter was kinda hard to write. What do you think? Please review.


	19. On a Fine Line

A/N: I got chapter 19 written! Wooh! After a while... Last week I had spring break, so that was why I was able to post three chapters, but now I'm back at school and don't have much time to write, except on weekends. I was planning on more things happening in this chapter, but the things planned out were longer than I had expected and so my lucky readers (and myself) get an extra chapter or two so that I can get all of my ideas in! Please Read and Review! _Disclaimer - I do not own D.Gray-Man._

Chapter 19: Day 18 -- On a Fine Line

* * *

"_Forget about me._"

Lenalee sat up with a jolt. She blinked quickly to clear her head. That dream…it had been so vivid. And that…monster. She glanced outside the window and her breath caught in her throat. The sun was setting.

She swung her legs over the edge and got up quickly. She stumbled once before reaching the door. The dream had shaken her. Where were Allen and Lavi? They had left around noon.

She ran down the stairs, pausing at the library door to peer inside, then continuing. She was passing one of the studies when she heard voices and she slowed to listen.

"…haven't been back. I'm worried, Bak," Fo was saying. "Could they have been caught?"

Lenalee heard Bak sigh loudly. "I know, dear, its just…what can we do?"

"Where's Lenalee?" Fo asked.

It was Komui who answered. "She was sleeping last time I checked. But I don't want to wake her right now…I don't want her worried."

"Why would—" Bak stopped as Fo murmured something. "…Oh."

"They could have just…gotten sidetracked," Komui said.

"For six hours?" Bak asked.

Lenalee's eyes widened in shock and covered her mouth to stop herself from making any noises. They had been gone for that long? A loud noise startled her and she jumped. It had been the door. "Allen?!" she asked as she turned around, but it wasn't Allen. It was another assassin.

Kanda was leaning against the door, eyes closed, panting, and covered in mud. After a moment he pushed himself away from the door and opened his eyes, still panting.

"K-Kanda?" Lenalee asked. She couldn't keep the disappointment out of her voice as she said his name. He heard that, but seemed to know why she sounded like that and just looked at her, wringing his hair out for a moment in silence.

"Lenalee?!" Komui had poked his head from the study door in surprise, but his eyes quickly traveled to Kanda. "What happened to you?"

"They were caught," the assassin said finally, walking over to them. Lenalee's eyes widened.

"W-what?" she asked.

"I saw Tyki's men taking Allen and Lavi…they had a girl with them as well. I followed them, but about five minutes later Tyki joined them. He almost saw me…I had to run. That's what happened. I slipped," Kanda said.

"They caught them?" whispered Lenalee. Kanda nodded.

Komui watched, his eyes wide. "You're bleeding," he commented to Kanda, pointing to his head.

"What? Oh damn," he muttered, feeling his forehead. "Must've hit it when I slipped." He pulled his hand back and wiped his forehead with his sleeve, clearing it of mud and blood.

"What can we do?" she asked him. "Is there anything we can do?"

"We can't do anything," the assassin said, looking straight at the girl. "All we can do is wait."

-ooo-

Lenalee sat on her bed, her back against the backboard. Her legs were pulled up to her chest, her arms around them. She couldn't fall asleep, even though it was late and she was so tired.

They hadn't come back yet. But would they? They had been grabbed by Tyki and his sister! Would they be alive tomorrow?

Dark thoughts swirled around Lenalee's mind, complete with gruesome images. Sometimes her thoughts flashed back to her dream, with that horrifying shadow creature…wait…shadow?!

Lenalee gasped, practically flying from the bed and down the hall to the dark sitting room where Lavi had left that book.

The book was sitting on the table, the silver letters of the title gleaming _Shadow Files_ in the dim moonlight. She picked it up and ran back upstairs before anyone would find her out of her room. She had been told to go to sleep.

"A…shadow," she panted, sitting on her bed and looking at the book. Then she opened it carefully and started scanning. The beginning was somewhat boring, just an introduction. But as she continued to flip through pages, faster each time, growing more impatient and wondering if this book had anything, she stumbled across a section that caught her eye.

"Shadows in the flesh," she read aloud to herself. "Not much is known about the things some people call 'shadows'…"

She continued reading, her lips moving silently as she read. She turned a page and her jaw dropped, a small gasp escaping her lips.

Lenalee stared at the double spread picture. It depicted a black ink drawing of a monster with at least six limbs, long spines coming from its back and a mouth full of needle like teeth.

Her mind flashed back to her dream and the Shadow standing before her.

"Oh my god," she murmured, the book sliding out of the fingers. "That was a real thing."

-ooo-

Lavi flinched as a cold drop of water fell onto his face. He groaned, opening his green eye. For a moment the light filtering through tree branches blinded him and he had to close his eye quickly.

"Oh my head," he moaned, covering his face with his hand. Then he pulled it away and opened his eye again, blinking.

He found himself staring at the leafless branches of oak trees; a steel gray cloud covered sky behind them. A slight breeze blew through, knocking the branches together, making a sound of old bones clattering quietly.

Lavi blinked again. His head was pounding. Why was it pounding? And another question, _where_ was he?

The redhead pushed himself up into a sitting position. This movement caused a wave of nausea and dizziness to overcome him and he had to put his head on his knees. He took a deep breath and listened, trying to clear his head. The breeze stopped and everything fell silent, except for the dripping of water into puddles and onto the ground.

"What the hell happened?" he muttered as the feeling subsided slightly. Why did he feel sick?

He looked around, feeling his head as he did. He cursed as he felt something wet and pulled his hand away. There was blood on his fingers. "What the…"

Then all of the memories came rushing back with such vivid detail that he was overcome with another fit of nausea, only this one was three times stronger than the one before.

That explained why his head hurt so much and the cut above his left eyebrow. And that explained why he was confused and sick. "Oh…" he flopped back down onto the muddy ground, covering his face again.

Lavi sat up again quickly after a moment and looked around, ignoring the pounding in his head. Where was Allen?

He scrambled to his knees and looked around. Bare oaks and scrubby bushes surrounded him and the sky above was a dark uniform gray. His gaze reached a brown-tan stone wall.

He would recognize that wall any time. He was outside the Lee Estate.

Then his gaze traveled along it and froze upon reaching a clump of bushes. Something red was glistening on the still-green needle-like leaves. He staggered over to them slowly, still on his knees, and pulled a sprig of the stuff into his hand to look at it more closely.

He was having some trouble focusing, but finally managed to and his green eye widened. He pulled his hand back quickly and wiped it on his jacket. The bush was splattered in blood.

The redhead looked down to the ground, where more blood lay, as well as mixed with the muddy water to fill several footprints made in the drying mud. He swallowed to beat down the rising nausea before pushing the bush aside.

He staggered again, his breath catching in his throat, leaning heavily against the tree, glad that he was on his knees and not his feet.

Allen lay crumpled on the ground under an old dead oak. The blood was without a doubt from him, because it had pooled underneath him. The had-been assassin was very still. Was he dead?

"Allen? Allen!" Lavi pushed through the bushes and came up beside the silver haired young man.

Allen's eyes were only half closed, and the silver that Lavi could see made his heart turn cold. It was glazed and frozen…like the eyes of a dead man. Lavi managed to pull himself to his feet.

He had to get help. Allen might still be alive! He stumbled away through the trees, following the wall.

"Damn it…this is bad," Lavi muttered to himself. He edged around a tree, still woozy from the several hits to his head.

Surprisingly, he reached the gate easily. He hadn't been too far away, where Tyki's men had dumped them. But why did they leave them there? It made no sense.

After several fruitless pulls on the metal gate, Lavi managed to open it and staggered up the path.

Still lightheaded, he tripped over the steps and slammed into the door, making it echo through the house.

The door in question opened, causing him to tumble inside. "Ow!" he yelped, holding his head as his eye watered, his muddy feet tangled together.

"Lavi?!"

He looked up, still holding his head, to see Lenalee crouching in front of him, eyes very wide.

"L-Len…Lenalee," he choked out, pushing himself up to a sitting position, his head still spinning from falling through the door.

"You're alive!" she gasped and threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. "I thought you might've been killed!"

Lavi patted her awkwardly while his head stopped swirling.

"B-but…your bleeding and covered in mud!" she almost squeaked, pulling away from him and looking at him. "…And where's Allen?!"

"Too many questions," he murmured. His head was still pounding.

"S-sorry," she said, sitting back so that he could breath. "What happened?"

"They…attacked us," Lavi said. "Took us somewhere, don't know where, Allen seemed to know though…and then they did something to him!"

"Who's they?" Lenalee asked softly.

"Tyki and his sister!" Lavi said. "They did something to Allen and I don't know if they killed him or not but he's lost a lot of blood and…"

Lenalee stared at him, eyes widening even more. "Where is he?" she asked, standing just as a taller, male figure appeared out of the study door. It was Komui. He glanced around, caught site of Lavi and Lenalee and hurried over.

"Lavi! I'm so glad that you're ok!" Komui said. "You look pretty bad though…"

"Allen! Where's Allen?" Lenalee asked again, cutting into Komui's comments. Lavi looked up at her. "Take me to him!"

Lavi sat still for a moment then attempted to stand. Komui knelt silently beside him and pulled him up. Lenalee came to his other side and they headed out together.

Without the extra support, Lavi probably would've collapsed, but they helped him down the path that he had just come down and through the gate. Once out, he pushed away from them and into the trees, looking at the ground and following his own footprints.

"This way, I think…" the redhead muttered.

Komui and Lenalee followed slowly as he picked his way through the trees and bushes. When he spotted the blood-splattered bush, he paused.

Lavi motioned over to the area and said, "I think he's…over there."

Lenalee didn't take one look at the red leaves or the pink tinted water filled footprints. She just pushed past Lavi, while her brother stayed beside the young man. She ignored the mud and pushed the bush back.

"Allen!" she cried and fell to her knees, disappearing from view behind the bush. Komui and Lavi quickly scrabbled through the bushes so that they could see her.

She was kneeling beside Allen's body. Her hands were shaking as she reached out towards him, but then they changed direction and picked up something in the mud that Lavi had failed to notice before in his dazed condition.

"W-what's that?" Lavi asked.

"A…A letter," she said, staring at it, then ran a thin finger across the opening and ripped it open, pulling out a single sheet of paper.

_To my dear Miss Lee,_

_I do hope that you like the color red, because he did spill a lot of it for you. Hope you enjoy the present – he was fun to prepare. My wishes to the young red headed man and yourself. _

Have a lovely time with your gift, Lord Tyki Mikk.

"It's…from _him_," she whispered, her voice shaking. Her eyes moved to Allen. "Allen! Oh Allen!"

The letter fell from her hands and she grabbed Allen's hand.

Lavi picked it up carefully and read it over, growing paler. He looked up at Lenalee, whose eyes were wide and filled with tears. She stared at the young man for a moment, the tears in danger of spilling over. Then she bent forward suddenly, listening to something and her eyes sparked with hope.

"W-what?" Lavi asked.

"He…he's still breathing!" Lenalee said, her voice filling with hope. Lavi stared at her, then scrambled over to Allen and checked his pulse. It was there, but very faint.

"We have to get him inside," Komui said quickly. "Come on."

-ooo-

"Am I dead?"

"_No."_

He was silent for a moment before asking, "Then am I dying?"

"Why do you ask these questions?"

The boy frowned, thinking. "That's the first question that came to mind, and it seemed to fit…for some reason," he answered, the last three words muttered. "So, am I?"

Silence met his question and he swallowed. _Well,_ he thought, _If I am…doesn't change where I am. Where am I?_

The silver haired young man looked around. At first everything was black as pitch, but then slowly shapes began to form. It started as foggy blurs of whites, grays and tans, but eventually sharpened. He stood in a dull field covered in dull tan and gray grass, short and spiked. A hill rose up a little ways away, where a lone twisted white tree, missing all leaves, stood.

Overall, the foliage and colors were very dull. The sky itself was a darkish gray, a lighter halo of gray situated off to one side where he figured the sun hung. But at the moment, it was hidden and only a weak brown-white light lit the surroundings.

"Where am I?" he asked, since it seemed that his 'voice' wouldn't give him an answer for his earlier question.

"Do you remember what happened?"

"Remember? What?" he asked the voice, looking up and around at the gray sky. There was nothing that really was giving the voice. It seemed to be coming from all around him.

"It was very traumatic…"

"What? What was?" he asked. "And who _are_ you?"

"_Would it be better,"_ it asked, _"if I had a form that you could face?"_

"That might help," he said. He stared at the lone tree for a moment, wondering why that was the only tree there was. Unless you counted the odd dark haze on the opposite horizon from the tree that expanded for what seemed like miles…he guessed that _could_ be trees.

"Does this help, child?"

He turned swiftly to see what stood before him, his silver eyes widening in surprise. "What are you?!"

"_Hush, child,"_ the creature ordered. He fell silent, but was still staring at thing before him. _"Do you remember anything?"_

The young man strained to remember something, anything, but only ended in making his head hurt.

"No," he said truthfully, feeling slightly embarrassed. He had just realized that he didn't even remember his name. What had happened?

The creature, looking like a skeletal dragon if nothing else, made a sighing sound. _"I tried to protect you…"_

"What?" he repeated again. "Please, answer at least _one_ of my questions…"

"_Yes, child, ask your questions. I may be able to answer one or two,"_ the creature said, settling down on its many limbs onto the gray-tan grass.

The silver haired young man settled down as well.

"Who am I? Where am I? What happened? Traumatic? Who are you? Protect me?" he listed. "And why can't I remember anything?"

The creature stared at him with large eyes. _"You are Allen Walker," _it answered. _"I am the Mother Shadow."_

"Ok," he said. "At least I know my name…can you tell me anything else? Like, why I can't remember anything?"

"_All in good time, child,"_ the Mother Shadow said softly. _"I fear that if I tell you now, it may hurt a little too much."_

Allen looked at her and sighed, propping his chin on his hand and picked at the grass with his free hand. "Ok, I guess since I can't go anywhere…"

-ooo-

They had managed to get Allen inside without much trouble and into one of the spare rooms. Lavi slumped onto a chair, sore all over, while Komui called Bookman.

As much as he didn't want to see the old man, he knew that he would be the best. They couldn't take Allen to the hospital. What would they say? That his magyk was taken by one of the most powerful men in the city? They'd be laughed out.

Lenalee was sitting on a chair beside Allen, staring at him with wide violet eyes. The tears that she had held in were now running down her cheeks silently.

After what seemed like hours (and it very well may have been), Bookman entered, followed by Komui. Bak and Fo had been gone all morning and didn't even know that the silver haired young man and Lavi had returned.

"Komui told me that you got caught by Mr. Mikk," the old man said, looking at his grandson. Lavi nodded, still feeling sick and dizzy. Bookman scoffed lightly. "You need sleep, Lavi."

Again Lavi nodded. "Ok…" he said, not in a state to argue and walked slowly from the room, glancing at Allen before leaving.

Bookman came over to the bed and brushed Lenalee aside, so that she had to scoot backwards. "You too. You look like you could do with some sleep."

"I don't think I _could_ sleep," she said, looking at Allen.

"Komui, could you please take your sister," Bookman said. Lenalee's eyes widened and she turned to the elderly man. "If anything happens, I'll call you, but it doesn't help if you're half asleep. You'd be in the way as well…"

Lenalee nodded as her brother came over to her. "Come on Lenalee," he said softly and helped her up and out of the room.

Once everyone had left, Bookman turned to the boy lying on the bed and set about figuring out what he could do.

* * *

A/N: Thank you for reading! Please review.

Oh yes...I do not own D.Gray-Man, but I came up with this idea, and I do wish for people not to take it. I worked (and still am working) very hard on this story, and the plot and idea, and I do not want it to be stolen. I'm only saying this because I saw a story very similar to mine...

If you have any questions, feel free to ask! Most things (concerning the Shadow and such) will be explained later!


	20. Listening to Shadows

A/N: Thank you for waiting! I'm sorry for taking so long -- two weeks instead of one. But I finally finished it! Those two weeks have been busy for me...but I finished it. And I really like how it turned out. Please READ and REVIEW. :D _Disclaimer -- I don't own D.Gray-Man._

Chapter 20: Day 19 -- Listening to Shadows

* * *

It was now around five in the afternoon.

Lenalee sat on the floor beside the bed where Allen lay, hands gripping the blanket and staring at the still figure. She hadn't moved since Bookman said she could come back in.

Her love for the silver haired young man had doubled. She didn't know how, but seeing him lying there, maybe dying, increased it.

"Lenalee," Komui murmured, crouching beside her, balancing on the balls of his feet and put a hand on her back. She didn't turn or even acknowledge that he was there, just continued to gaze at Allen.

He sighed and stood up, turning away from his sister. There was nothing he could do. Komui walked over to the door and opened it. He jumped slightly when he did so. Lavi had just opened the door as well.

"Oh, hello Lavi," Komui said. Lavi nodded and scooted through the door as Komui left.

"Lenalee?" he asked.

She didn't answer him.

"Lavi, what're you doing here?" Bookman had just entered, holding some medicine and followed by Bak, who also had medical supplies.

"Just checking in," he murmured.

Bak seemed slightly surprised to see Lenalee. "Lenalee?" he murmured.

"She hasn't said anything…" muttered Lavi.

"She thinks it's her fault," Bookman said to Bak. "That Allen is like this."

Lavi gritted his teeth. Why was she blaming herself?

"Oh," Bak said softly. "Lenalee, its not your fault…"

There was a crash from behind them and both Bak and Bookman looked around, startled. Lavi stood, seething. His emerald eye was blazing burning green and both fists were clenched beside his sides.

The young man, in his anger, had pushed several large books and a lamp off of the desk he had been standing next too. Now he stood, visibly shaking with rage.

"Its not you goddamn fault!" he growled, his voice shaking as well. Lenalee didn't look round or even acknowledge Lavi.

"It wasn't your fault! It was Tyki's! And his mad sister! _Stop taking all the blame!_ You're alive because of him! Be grateful! He knew what he was getting into! He's been an assassin for a long time, he knew what could've happened!" he yelled, not paying attention to what he really was saying.

Lenalee stared at Allen for a moment, tears spilling down her cheeks, then silently she lay her head down on the bed, silent sobs racking her body, hands clenching the sheet.

Lavi's eye widened when he realized what he had just shouted.

"I didn't…didn't…" he mumbled, eye wide, when a large encyclopedia flew across the room and hit him in the face. He was caught by surprise and fell backwards with a crash, landing onto the ground.

Bookman was glaring angrily at his grandson. "Did you think things weren't bad enough?" he growled. Lavi pushed himself up, pushing the book off him to stare at Bookman, rubbing his face. "Get out!"

"W-what?" choked Lavi.

"Get _out_!" Bookman growled. Lavi scrambled to his feet and staggered past Bak, who had watched silently with wide eyes, and reached the door. He pulled it open, almost walking into Komui.

"S-sorry," he murmured and rushed from the room, one hand on his bruised face, his eye looking down at the floor as he slipped past Komui.

"What just happened?" the tall man asked, eyeing the books and the broken lamp.

"Lavi…lost his temper, as it were," Bookman said as he walked over to Lenalee and Allen. Lenalee was still crying silently. "Lenalee, pay no mind to him. He wasn't thinking."

Lenalee didn't say anything, just buried her face in the sheets of the bed where Allen lay. Bookman sighed and walked over to Komui, beckoning the man with a hand. "Bak, can you just look him over?"

The blond haired man nodded.

Bookman led Komui from the room and into the hallway. "What is it? Is it about Allen?"

"Yes," Bookman said. "I don't know if he will recover."

Komui stared at the elderly man for a moment, his mouth slightly open. "Why?" he finally asked.

"Lavi told me that Tyki removed his magyk," Bookman said. Komui looked puzzled. "Everyone has a little, but for people such as Allen, Tyki, and that other assassin, Kanda, it's their life force. If one were to take it from them and destroy it or absorb it, then the victim…"

"…Would die?" Komui finished with a question.

"That's just it, Komui. I don't know. He's a very…exceptional young man, Allen Walker. Lavi said he had a very abnormal amount of magyk."

"How did—"

"Lavi can sense magyk," Bookman said. "Its just…I don't know if Tyki got _all_ of it or not. We will just have to wait and see if he…recovers or not."

Komui sighed and nodded. "If he dies…it will break Lenalee's heart."

-ooo-

"Can you tell me _something_ about my life?" Allen asked the Mother Shadow, watching the tan grass fall between his fingers then looking up at the creature. Her head pulled around so that she was looking at him.

She was silent for a moment. "I can. The first memory. Your first memory," she said. "But…It might be too…"

"I can handle it! I have to keep going, and if that means dealing with all the fire of Hell, then I'll go through that," Allen said, then added after a moment's thought. "Don't know why though."

The Mother Shadow made some sort of noise that could've been a chuckle, flexing the long spines on her back. She watched Allen for a moment, not moving to do anything. Something on his face made her stop.

He was frowning. "Lenalee…" he murmured.

The large creature blinked several times. "Hmm," she finally said.

"What's Lenalee?" Allen asked.

"Where do you get that?" she asked him.

"Again…I don't know. But it's really important. Maybe that's why I can't stop…maybe that's why I have to keep going," Allen replied. "What is it?"

"Its not a what, it's a who," the Mother Shadow. "She is a very important person in your life, but only a resent addition, in the last chapters—"

"Last chapters?" Allen yelped, his head shooting up from his hand to stare at her with wide silver eyes. "Am I dying?"

"Hush, child. Let me rephrase that. She is a part of the latest and most recent chapters of your life," the mother shadow said.

"She?" Allen murmured. "Oh. Can I see her?"

"No."

Allen gapped at her. "Why not?"

"Why so eager? Just a moment ago you thought she was an object," the creature said, laughing again, her lips pulled back over her teeth. If anything, it made her even more terrifying and Allen shrank away slightly.

"Well yeah, but now that you say that she's important to my life and—"

"If you were to see her, or some of her memories," the Mother Shadow said. "Which I plan on showing you…just one…But if you saw one of hers first, before any of yours, then pulling your memories and thoughts back together would be even harder."

Understanding dawned on Allen. "Oh, I get it. Ok," he said.

"Then are you ready to see your first memory, child?" she asked, standing and stretching like a cat before standing straight.

Allen scrabbled to his feet. "Of course! What're we doing?"

"Memories are not things that can be told or read like a book. They are complex and twisted, turning sharply and doubling back. The only way to fully understand a memory is to _see_ it. And that is what we are doing," she said. Allen looked around, startled, as their surroundings started melting.

It turned black and indigo and Allen had the strangest feeling of walking through a wall of water before he realized that they stood somewhere new. He looked around.

"Where are we?" he asked.

Only the outline of the creature could be seen, glimmering in the moonlight. "Your memory. And I apologize before hand…" she said.

"For what?"

She just shook her head slowly. Allen shrugged, eyeing his surroundings more closely. He was standing in a dark street, one lone street lamp glowing a ways away. An alley opened up to his right, a little ahead of him.

It was only on his second look around that he saw something—or a large number of something's—creeping over the ground and oozing across the walls, towards that alley.

"What are _they_?!" he asked quietly, watching the closest. He couldn't quite tell what it was, but it was shadowy and silvery at the same time.

"Shadows, ghosts, cold-bringers," the Mother Shadow said.

"Are they like you?"

"No!" she snapped. "They are nothing like me. All they want is human warmth and the soul that fuels that warmth."

"Why are they going in there?" Allen asked.

"Go look."

Allen followed the ghosts and peered into the alley. Suddenly he felt the Mother Shadow behind him, her head very close to his ear. "Are you ready?"

"Ready for w—"

But he never was able to finish his question. Everything twisted violently and he pitched sideways. His vision faded and he was nothingness for a split second before having feeling again.

This was different. He was different. For a moment he was confused, and then all his memories of the Mother Shadow and everything disappeared, to be replaced by cold hard fear.

He shook violently, pulling himself into a tighter ball, trying to pull away from the cold-bringers. Their icy hands clawed his skin and where they touched, a deep cold was setting in. But when they touched his left arm, they screeched and it burned, instead of stabbed icily.

For some reason, the moonlight shone off it, showing the disfigured features and the slightly red glimmer. What?

He made a moaning; trying to pull away, but they were already falling back. He peered through his fingers, burning and freezing everywhere, to look at the alleyway.

A shadow was melting.

It was melting and reforming in the pale moonlight and it was standing. The jaws opened wide and it took a step forward.

He was locked with fear. It was even worse than the cold-bringers. It was going to eat him and leave nothing left. Why would it want him? He was small and definitely not as filling as something else it could find. It took another step forward.

He forgot to breathe as it came closer. He wanted the cold-bringers back! He could fight with them; he could deal with them. But this…this monster of the shadows… It loomed over him, tall and terrifying and deadly.

It was going to eat him. He knew that.

And then it said something, but he couldn't understand. His fear-locked mind couldn't understand what it was saying. It was hissing something to him.

And then it whipped around to look at the alley mouth. Something stood there…the shadow was disappearing back into the blackness…

Allen landed hard on his back in the gray-and-tan world, panting hard and shaking violently. For several minutes he couldn't do anything but lie there, continuing to pant.

His head was reeling with the images. And the feelings and the emotions.

"That…was my first memory?" he choked out, still lying on the ground. He didn't have enough energy to sit up yet.

Silence met his words for a moment and then the Mother Shadow spoke. "Yes. I see it didn't push you over the edge."

Allen pushed himself up. "Is that…why you apologized before?" he asked, still panting.

She nodded slowly. "I'm so very sorry. I terrified you."

Allen nodded, thinking. Then with a sudden movement he pulled his left hand up to look at it. Why hadn't he noticed it before? It _was_ disfigured, the skin rough and red. The only color in the entire dull world.

"You wouldn't have noticed before…because you didn't know," the Mother Shadow explained to him, answering his unasked question. "That is the reason why you were in that alley way."

"My parents—my real parents—left me there," he said suddenly. For some reason, it made sense. Not them leaving him, but that he knew that had happened. After seeing that, it fit into place. He remembered that small bit of his life.

The Mother Shadow nodded. "Very good," she said. "You're already beginning to remember."

Allen nodded slowly, still shaken. He still wanted to know about Lenalee and his connection to her. But he wasn't up for anything else for a little while. That earliest memory had drained him of all energy.

So he flopped back down onto his back on the grass and closed his silver eyes. An odd sound caught his attention and he opened them again, to give a startled yelp. The Mother Shadow was looking down at him.

"Sorry if I startled you," she murmured, a grin on her long teeth, making her more terrifying again, but her voice was soft, even loving.

"Its fine," Allen said, propping himself up. The creature sat down beside him then moved closer and pulled him up to her. His eyes widened as he found himself resting on the Mother Shadow's forearm. She had pulled him up so that he was close to her.

For such a frightening creature, she was oddly comforting. Allen, exhausted, curled up slightly, moving closer to the thing. He felt her arms tighten around him and he closed his eyes as a soft murmur started coming from her. She was singing to him, a soft, ancient lullaby, older than all humans were. It was a Shadow song.

And it called him to sleep. He fell asleep, grateful for the rest, in the arms of the Mother Shadow as she sang.

- Five Days Later -

Lenalee shifted on the bed, opening her eyes. Her legs were stiff from not moving. She uncurled herself carefully and sat up, looking around while rubbing her eyes. Where was she?

Then she remembered and glanced down. Allen lay there, on the bed, as still as he had been five days before.

Bookman had patched him up. He was bandaged and his breathing was even, but still he didn't wake. Lenalee had overheard Bookman talking to her brother about Allen one night, a couple days ago. Bookman had said that he was surprised that Allen had survived this long.

But he was still worried. He was in stable condition, but his mind wasn't there. If it was, he would've woken by now, Bookman said. They just had to wait. Bookman said, and Bak agreed with him that what he had gone through had been very traumatic.

He needed time to recall his mind. That's what they had said.

Lenalee pulled her legs up to her chest and picked up the book that lay beside her. She had been reading it before she had fallen asleep. It was opened to that inked double spread picture, the one with the shadow.

She sighed, turning the page. She had read and reread this chapter many times now, for something to do…it gave her nothing that would help Allen.

At that moment, Lavi entered. He glanced around and then came over to the bed, giving a small smile to Lenalee. She just blinked, but then smiled back slightly, which slid as she took in his appearance.

"Lavi…what's wrong? You look so tired," she murmured to him softly. Lavi just smiled.

"Naw, I'm alright," he said, but he definitely looked tired.

"Lavi," she said sternly.

He sighed. "Just a bad dream," he murmured. "Been having it…since it happened."

"What was it?" she asked softly.

"I can't really…explain it. Its just…because of what happened," Lavi said, shivering slightly. "I think he wanted it like that. He didn't kill me or hurt me too bad so that I could tell you what happened as a warning and…"

"And?"

"I don't know. Just to freak you out? To stress you maybe?" Lavi tried. He looked like he was going to fall asleep. "I wish I could get some sleep…And those training sessions don't help too much."

He touched a bruise on his forehead gingerly.

"Training sessions? Where'd you get that?" Lenalee asked, curious.

Lavi sighed noisily. "Kanda has decided to take up what Allen started…he's been training me. But his sessions are much harder than Allen's, I have to say. I didn't move in time and he hit me with a stick…"

Lenalee stared at him, slightly startled that Kanda had actually started helping them.

"Lavi." Bookman entered. "I need you to get some supplies for me."

"Now? Why?" Lavi asked, looking at the elderly man.

Bookman sighed. "Because I need them. They're for Allen."

"Oh," the young man said and stood. "Ok. I'll go get whatever you want. "

"Thank you Lavi," he said and handed him a small list of what he needed.

-ooo-

Lavi sighed, rubbing his head and glancing at the bag that he held. He had gotten all of the things for Bookman, and was now waiting for a chance to cross the street.

It was a very busy day and horse drawn carriages and even automobiles crowded the streets, carrying people, each of which needed to go somewhere different. So it was rather crazy.

He leaned against the wall of a nearby building as he waited, shifting the bag so that he could cross his arms.

"Looks like you're out and about," murmured a voice from beside him and he turned.

Road looked up at him, smiling widely, holding a lollipop in one hand.

"R-Road," Lavi managed to choke out, fighting the rising panic that threatened to overthrow him.

"You're looking better," she said, but she was frowning slightly. Lavi forced himself to clear his mind, but he could sense her magyk level rising slightly and a most unpleasant feeling of being scanned.

"Finally recovered," Lavi said.

Road was grinning again. "Oh, I forgot. How is Allen? Well, I hope!"

Lavi forced his expression to become blank, one grief-stricken. "He's dead."

The girl's eyes widened slightly startled. "I didn't think he'd die," she said, her voice slightly putout.

"He was almost dead when I woke up. That next morning he was dead," the redhead continued with the lie. He thought it best that the two—Tyki and Road—didn't know that Allen was actually getting better.

"Hmm. Pity," Road said. "He was interesting. Well, I guess I must be off. It was _so_ good seeing you again! Ta-ta, Lavi!"

And she turned away from him and headed down the street. Lavi watched her, his face straight, until she disappeared from view three blocks down and he slid down the wall, right there, on the corner of the street. He was shaking slightly.

"That was close," he murmured, pulling himself up after a moment. His hands had stopped shaking after several deep breaths. But something puzzled him. Could she read his mind? Was that why she had been frowning? If she could…didn't she know that he was lying?

* * *

A/N: Thank you for reading! If you have any questions, feel free to ask! I think another chapter more than I had hoped for! Makes me happy! I reached my goal: 20 Chapters! Thank you, all of my readers for the story so far, and the 200+ reviews! Please review!


	21. Wake Up Call

A/N: Hello all! I have finally written chapter 21! Thank you everyone, so far, for reviewing and reading. Makes me very happy! And here, for the wait...a little longer chapter. I hope you like it!

Chapter 21: Day 24 -- Wake Up Call

* * *

Lavi was breathing hard when he reached the Lee Estate. He had run as fast as he could once he had left the main street, wanting to get as far as he could away from Road and the town in general.

He slowed down as he reached the gate, then opened the door and headed up the path. He relaxed slightly as he made his way up to the house, but something made him stop.

Lavi paused, looking around.

The only sound he could hear was that of the wind through the trees, but he still felt unnerved.

"Hm," he murmured to himself. "Maybe I'm imagini—AHH!"

"Nice dodge…still sloppy though."

Lavi looked up in time to feel smooth wood press gently against his throat. He blinked several times, recognizing Kanda.

"What're you doing?!" he asked, staring up at the assassin.

"Testing you," he said flatly. "Although your still slow."

He stepped away and Lavi got to his feet and grabbed the bag of supplies. "Did you have to attack me _here_ though?" he asked as he headed for the house.

Kanda snorted. "You should be prepared anywhere," he said. Lavi opened the door and Kanda followed him inside.

"Bookman? I have your supplies!" Lavi called as he rubbed his arm where Kanda had hit him before he had moved out of the way. The elderly man appeared from the stairs, took the bag with a silent nod and disappeared once more. Lavi watched him, puzzled.

"Moyashi got worse," Kanda said, answering Lavi's unasked question. Lavi's green eye widened in shock.

"What?" he asked. "In the time I was gone?"

Kanda nodded, looking at his hand, then glancing around. "I have to go," he said suddenly and was gone before Lavi could say anything. Confused, Lavi stared around, then headed up to the room where Allen was.

He had to tell Bookman about Road as well…

-ooo-

Allen opened his eyes slowly then gave a startled yell of surprise. "Whoa!" he yelped.

"Sorry," the Mother Shadow said, grinning. She had been staring down at him, her face very close to his, when he had opened his eyes. "Do you feel better now?"

Allen nodded as the creature moved so that he could sit up. He rubbed his eyes, running a hand through his hair.

"Come here," she cooed, and he obliged. She lifted one of her claws and started to run it through his messy hair, combing it. He was slightly startled, but it was comforting, and the memory (his first memory) still hung around him.

"Are you ready to see more?" she asked as she combed his hair.

"More?!" he asked.

"Your memories are already coming back," she said, and for some reason, motioned to their surroundings. They looked the same to Allen. "But I think you are ready—that is, you won't be confused—to see a memory that is not yours."

Allen looked up. "Really? You're going to let me see some other memories? Wait...how do you even know them if they aren't mine?" he asked, curious.

"I am the Mother Shadow," she said simply. "All knowledge that other shadows know, I know."

"Oh," Allen said, thinking. "Ok."

"So, stand up," she said. He stood, watching her as she stood as well. "One or two more memories before _that_ memory, I think. Just to be safe."

Allen nodded and watched her stretch, then her eyes opened wide. The silver was brighter than normal and their surroundings started to melt. He thought that maybe that had been how she had looked before. But before, the first time, he hadn't been looking at her, so he hadn't seen her.

"Where are we going now?" he asked her. She was the only thing that he could see as the colors and shapes melted into black.

"It's more of a question of 'when', Allen Walker. You will see…this one is important. Again, I am sorry," she murmured as the surroundings took form.

It was night. The moon shown brightly down on a sad scene. Allen's eyes widened in surprise. A young boy was crouching in front of a gravestone, his brown hair silver in the moonlight. That was _him_.

"Remember," the wind whispered and again he felt the odd sensation of falling sideways and then everything went black.

"Mana…" he murmured. "Why…w-why did you have t-to die?" His father was dead. That stupid shadow! It had derailed the train and killed his father! He wiped away the tears angrily as he stared at the headstone. Why did he have die?

And then a sound attracted his attention and he turned and as he did, his silver eyes widened in surprise and horror. But anger also blossomed inside him. Anger that he had never known before.

"It's your fault!" he cried from the ground at the creature. "It's your fault that he's dead!"

"No child, it is not," the Mother Shadow said. She stood eerily in the moonlight, her form shimmering slightly. He unconsciously pushed away a creeping cold that was setting upon him and forced his attention on the creature before him.

"You called me," she murmured to him, her fangs out, glimmering in the moonlight.

"I DIDN'T CALL YOU! I DON'T NEED YOU!" Allen yelled, his hands clenched into fists by his side. He was standing now.

"But you do…_ahhh_…" she almost purred. Her eyes closed for a moment. "Smells…so…good."

Allen took a step backwards. "GO AWAY! LEAVE ME ALONE!" he cried.

"Your anger…only makes it…stronger," she said, taking a step forward. She barely touched the ground as she moved forward. And then she was running. Allen's eyes widened as she grew nearer and nearer, and then she was on top of him.

She crashed into him. He thrashed, trying to get away…but he couldn't. She was _in_ him, in his chest, in his heart…his mind. He tried to force her away, but she grabbed on, and he couldn't get her away.

He let out howls of pain and then went limp. The pain that had been there was disappearing in pulses. How it hurt…

"You'd do nicely," a voice said. "I knew you were special."

Allen blinked glazed silver eyes up. His left arm especially was throbbing. He tried to focus on the figure before him. A man stood there, crouching so that they were eye level with each other.

But as Allen tried to look at him, he felt the shadow rear up and he let out a choked cry. It was going to kill him…

"Another one…" the man said gruffly. "Yes, you'd do very nicely."

Allen was on the ground, panting again. But he didn't stay there for long. "Why are all of my memories painful? And why are you always there?!" he was on his feet and he was angry. He raged, pointing at the Mother Shadow.

She watched him calmly. "I'm sorry. I have learned a lot since then…but anger has a certain effect on me. It…changes me, if it were," she said.

"Then why aren't you that blood thirsty fiend that you were then?!" he yelled.

"Because your heart has changed me. It doesn't effect me as strongly," she said.

"W-what?" he blinked, confused. His anger was draining from him and now he felt exhausted again.

"Before…when you were then, and up until a week or so ago, you were cold, bloodthirsty—"

"I wasn't—"

"—just like me," she continued, not letting him interrupt. "But then you met new people. They have helped you greatly."

"Lavi…and…Lenalee," he said softly, collapsing onto the ground with a sigh. "I know that. They…they're important to me. What…what else?"

The Mother Shadow watched him carefully, glancing around. Allen did as well and gasped. "W-what?"

The surroundings were no longer dull grays and tans and shadows. The grass was starting to turn a light shade of green, and the sky was paling into blue. Everything was coming alive with color, like someone had spilled paint onto the once gray-and-tan world.

"What's happening?" he asked her, staring around.

"Your memories are returning," she said, a smile twisting her lips, showing her teeth. "You're doing it…"

-ooo-

"There's…something odd about that one guy."

"What one guy?"

Road spun around in her brother's chair, feet propped on his desk, so that she could look at him. "That guy with the red hair."

"Lavi," Tyki said, going through a drawer.

"Yes, that guy. Either he knows how to block his mind out or it just doesn't work on him," she said, licking a brightly colored lollipop and watching her brother. His back was turned to her.

"Hmm…"

"Are you even listening to me, Tyki?" she asked, slightly annoyed.

"What? Oh…yes," he said, glancing behind his shoulder. "But I need to look at something. So, eye-patch isn't effected by your reading?"

Road made an angry sigh. "I guess not."

"Kill him," Tyki said flatly, not turning around. "Actually…"

His sister watched him curiously as he walked across the room and stuck his head out of the door. "When you have a moment," he said to his doorman. The man came in immediately.

"Boss?"

"Gather five or six men, kill Lenalee Lee, her brother, and anyone else in that house," he said, going back to his paperwork.

The man was silent for a moment. "Righ' away boss!" he said and hurried out of the room.

"Its time for the Lee's and anyone else with them to be gone from this town, don't you think?" he asked, turning to his sister. She giggled.

"Yes!"

-ooo-

The sun was not far from setting as Lavi told Bookman about Road. His grandfather looked thoughtful for a moment before talking.

"It might be something to do with your magyk," he said.

"But…I don't have any," Lavi said. "I only can read it."

"Which means you have it," Bookman told him. "You have to have _some_ or else you couldn't have been able to read it."

Lavi nodded slowly. He had never thought about that. "So, Road…can't read my mind? It seemed that she couldn't. She even made a face."

"It seems so. That's a gift. If she can't read it, then maybe she can't do anything to you. That's an advantage," his grandfather told him.

"How's Allen?" Lavi asked after a moment of silence.

Bookman sighed. "I don't know. He seems fine now. For a little bit his vitals went very low…but then they bounced up again. He just…hasn't woken up yet."

Lavi nodded once more and glanced out of the window. The wind had picked up and the lights were flickering slightly due to it.

-ooo-

"It is time," the Mother Shadow said.

Allen moaned and sat up. "Why? This takes so much energy…"

"Get up," she ordered and he scrambled to his feet quickly, not wanting to make her angry. "I'm going to show you a very important memory. But this is not yours. You shall be seeing it as if you were there, but not feeling the emotions and feelings. You shall be an observer. You can not do anything either. Remember: this has already happened."

Allen swallowed. He didn't like the sound of that. "Ok," he agreed after a moments thought. If he didn't have to feel the emotions, then it probably wouldn't be as trying on him. He hoped so. He really wanted to get…back…wherever back was.

This time the Mother Shadow didn't ask if he was ready. Their surroundings started to melt once more. He stood close beside her as they solidified once again.

He had to blink several times once everything came into place. "What…what happened here?"

"This is a memory of a young child struck with fear and grief. It has been warped. See it how she sees it," the Mother Shadow murmured.

Allen nodded and turned back to the scene. It took him a moment for his mind and eyes adjust—the whole world was skewed.

Finally he was able to get the right mindset and he realized that he was standing in a hallway, long, empty and dark. One side of the ceiling sloped upwards, the doorframes and windows, the pictures and the furniture uneven. Everything was black and gray. It looked like something from a nightmare. And Allen realized that it probably was.

A flash of lightning lit up the hallway, throwing everything into sharp relief. Allen saw a small figure making its way down the slanting hallway, holding a single candle in its holder.

The flame flickered gold in the dark world as the wind beat against the windowpanes. It created beasts of shadows that danced upon the wall. Several looked like they turned their heads to watch the one walking down the hall.

Lightning flashed, and although Allen could hear no sound, the girl—because the figure wore a silver nightgown—jumped in terror, eyes wide, and then continued faster.

"Lenalee…" Allen murmured. Yes. This small, terrified girl was the one who was most important to him.

"Go with her, stand beside her…like a shadow," the Mother Shadow whispered in his ear, making him jump slightly. But he nodded silently and followed the girl down to a large door, the doorframe sloping upwards sharply.

She seemed to glance backwards as Allen followed her without a sound, like she could see him. But it was just a memory…she couldn't have seen him—or heard him for that matter, because he made no sound.

"Mommy?" the small girl murmured, reaching for the doorknob and opening it slowly. Allen peered behind her, looking with curiosity into the room that she was opening. He figured it was her parent's room.

Another flash of lightning crashed upon them, and this time the thunder came with it. It scared Allen half to death because he had been ready to have silence. But it seemed to scare the girl more. He wanted to comfort her. Leaning forward, closer, he whispered, "Its alright…I'm here."

She took a deep breath, glancing behind her shoulder once again, making him doubt that she couldn't see him, then opened the door farther.

Allen's eyes widened.

Child Lenalee let out a small gasp, staring at the figure standing in the middle of the room. They were holding a long dagger. It dripped red—the only color in this nightmare. The bodies of two people lay on the ground at the figure's feet.

And then Lenalee let out a bloodcurdling scream as Allen yelled, "NO!".

"Its time to go," the Mother Shadow whispered from behind him. "You are needed…"

"No! It…it can't be!" he cried, staring at her, eyes wide. He looked back. The figure's face was hidden in shadows. All that could be seen was the demonic smile and the eyes. They burned golden and then the person was gone.

Allen knew that figure. He knew that person holding the dagger with blood running down its blade. He _knew_ who that was.

"It is time to leave this memory," the Mother Shadow told him. "Its time to wake up…"

Everything pitched sideways. The twisted nightmare world churned. He saw the meadow once more before everything turned black…

Allen opened his eyes slowly. He took a shaking breath, a tear running down the corner of his eye. "I remember."

-ooo-

"Where did this weather come from?" Lavi muttered to himself, glancing out of the window of the study that he was in. The wind shook the windowpanes violently; a tree beside the house scraped the bricks, and in the distance a flicker of lightning and the low rumble of thunder.

He turned away from the window and looked back at his book as the lights flickered. Lavi turned the page just as the lights gave a fast flash and then disappeared and everything plunged into darkness.

He let out a startled yell, looking around. He could barely see the furniture! He stood carefully, dropping his book on the chair and made his way carefully to door.

Opening it, he could hear voices calling across the house. "Lenalee?" he called.

"Lavi!"

Lavi walked into the hallway just as a flicker of lightning flashed and he was able to see Lenalee standing at the edge of the stairs, looking around. Why was she so scared? It was just the power. She seemed to be terrified.

He started forward, but something made him stop for a split second. And it was good that he did. A moment later the picture that hung on the wall exploded as a bullet hit it. The sound of the shot was covered by a rumble of thunder. Lavi's eye widened. If he had taken that step, he would've been hit by that bullet.

Lenalee let out a startled scream. "Lavi!" she called, through the growing volume of thunder.

Lightning flashed again, lending a hand just in time. With its light, Lavi was just able to see the figure behind him and spun quickly, grabbing the man's hand as he came down on him with a dagger. With a violent twist and a kick, Lavi sent the assassin to the ground. Immediately he kicked him again, knocking him out.

He turned quickly. "Lenalee!" he cried, trying to warn her. But it was too late. A black clad figure stood in between him and the young woman. And a moment later several more appeared out of no where.

They fired shots at Lavi, who ducked just in time and rolled away. "Damn it!" he cursed silently. And then it made sense. The wind hadn't caused the lights to die…it had been _them_.

There was a yell and someone hit one of the assassins. Lavi looked up to see Fo, standing before him, facing one of the assassins.

"Fo!" Lavi gasped. He watched as the assassin turned angrily and moved to strike her. But she moved faster, slamming his face into her knee. "Whoa…" He had, had no clue that she was so skilled.

But as she let the assassin collapse, holding his face with a hand, another moved forward and fired his weapon.

She let out a startled scream and fell backwards.

"Fo!" Lavi yelled the same time Bak did, and the blonde haired man appeared from a doorway in time to catch his wife as she fell. He looked around, holding her tightly, and saw Lenalee and the assassin, then looked at Lavi.

He couldn't do anything. He pulled Fo back into the room just in time to miss another bullet. Lavi gritted his teeth. Fo had been shot and Lenalee…Lenalee was facing an assassin.

"The boss sends his love," the assassin who was pointing the gun at Lenalee said in a low growl, ignoring the entire ordeal that had taken place behind him.

The redhead jumped to his feet, knocking one of the other men off his by pure chance, trying to get to Lenalee and the assassin. The girl was frozen to the spot; her eyes wide and filled with terror.

A split second before the man pulled the trigger, a door to the immediate side of Lenalee and the assassin burst open, crashing into the wall with such force that one of the hinges broke, sending it swinging wildly.

Wind blew through the hallway. One of the bullets had hit a window, and it was screaming loudly.

Then the assassin fired.

"NO!" Lavi yelled, but he could do nothing. He was only half way to the girl.

Lenalee screamed. She was going to get hit by that bullet. She knew she was going to. She stepped backwards in terror, to find that there was nothing there. She had forgotten that she had been standing at the top of the stairs.

The bullet didn't hit her. Why didn't it hit her? She was vaguely aware that the man that had been holding the gun let out a strangled yell and fell backwards. But she was still falling.

Everything slowed down. She closed her eyes as she fell, waiting for the impact of the hard marble stairs.

But it never came. Instead she felt arms come around her and the soft whisper of "I've got you" in her ear and then she was going up.

_What? Did Lavi make it over to me?_ She thought to herself, eyes still closed. The one holding her never let her go as they landed on solid ground. _But he was all the way across the hall…_

"Allen?" she murmured, opening her eyes slightly. She saw a flash of silver and then she gave another scream as the one holding her pulled her around, spinning swiftly.

There was another yell and the sound of someone falling down the stairs.

"Don't worry," they murmured to her, letting her go.

"No!" she cried, her eyes opening with a snap. She didn't want to let them go. But she found herself staring at nothing, sitting on the floor beside the wall.

She scrambled to her knees, looking around. Lightning flashed as a bullet flew through the air. It hit a lamp, which exploded into millions of shards of glass.

"No!" someone shouted, firing again.

"You were dea—" the one shouting was hit by something with so much force they flew across the hall, crashing into the corner beside the stairs and rolling down them.

"I won't let you do this!"

Lenalee's eyes widened. The figure that had saved her was standing very still. Shadows encased them, so that she couldn't make out who it was. One assassin—the last one—was standing behind them, gun at arm's length, the barrel almost touching her savior's head.

And then they spun around, faster than the assassin could pull the trigger, and smashed the man's arm to the side. A sickening crack echoed through the hall in the lull of the thunder and the man let out a cry of pain and shock.

"H-how…" he whispered, just loud enough for Lenalee to hear.

"I'm stronger than you are," the figure murmured and with a sudden motion, accompanied by another, much louder and sicker crack, they fell to the feet of their killer.

"W-what?" Lenalee heard Lavi murmur from wherever he was crouching on the ground.

And then the figure turned and lightning lit up the hall.

"Allen!" she cried, staggering to her feet and running to him. He was smiling widely, his eyes dancing. When she reached him, she threw her arms around him, and he hugged her back. Lavi came over to them slowly.

"You…did you…did you actually..?" he managed to ask Allen, unable to finish the sentence.

"Break his neck?" Allen finished it for him. He didn't look disturbed. "Yes, I did."

Lavi made a sickened face, closing his eye. "So that's what that crack was…"

Allen nodded, then staggered sideways, falling to his knees.

"Allen!" Lenalee cried, going to her knees as well beside him. "A-are…are you ok?"

The young man looked up through his silver hair, eyes dancing. He was panting slightly but a smile split his face. "Yes…I feel very much alive."

* * *

A/N: Thank you for reading! Please review! Tell me what you thought! :D I'm glad I finished this chapter. It had been bugging me. Oh yes...Special thanks to Kyurengo, who helped me out with this chapter a little. Thanks for the idea, Kyurengo!

Please Review! _Disclaimer -- I don't own D.Gray-Man._


	22. Plans and Information

A/N: Sorry for the long delay...but here it is! Chapter 22! So, please read and enjoy. Its a little longer than some/most of the chapters. I hope you like it! Read and review please!

Chapter 22: Day 25 -- Plans and Information

* * *

"Any information on the recent attacks?"

"Not at the moment. I'm sure everyone knows about the attack on the police station that took place eleven days ago."

"Yes. The whole thing blew up."

"Well, we think that the same people are responsible. But we don't know. People are investigating, but it's dangerous. Along with the regular folk being attacked—mostly higher ups—it seems that several cataloged assassin's have disappeared."

Allen opened his eyes slowly. He blinked several times to clear his vision.

"Assassins? But I thought they were the ones behind the killings."

"There's someone higher, killing them off as well, apparently."

The news was clicked off with an angry huff. Allen turned his head groggily. He didn't really remember what happened. And then it came back and he sat up in the bed very quickly. A little too quickly.

Several things happened when he sat up. First he startled the person sitting next to him on the bed, watching him. They let out a surprised yelp as he did so. Then he was overcome by a wave of dizziness due to moving too fast and fell from the bed in a pile of blankets.

"Allen!" Lenalee scurried across the bed to look down at him.

He took away the hand that was at his head, one leg still on the bed. "L-Lenalee…" he said, focusing on her. "W-what? What am I doing here? Why'm I in bed?"

"You don't remember?" she asked, startled.

Allen blinked several times, trying to clear his mind. "Y-yes…I remember…waking up and…then fighting."

"You passed out after," she told him. Allen nodded. He thought he remembered that.

"I think I was a little too…active," Allen said. "When I woke up."

Lenalee let out a small giggle. "I think so too. But," she said, "I'm grateful. Thank you for saving me."

Allen smiled slightly, disentangling himself from his blankets. "It was…rather jarring, actually. Wake up and the house that I'm in is under attack?"

A small laugh, which soon turned louder, came from behind Allen and he looked around, to see Lavi.

"Good morning, Allen," Lavi said, grinning widely. "You gave us a start last night. But thanks anyway."

Allen's face broke into a large smile as well. "Nice to see you," he said. "Tyki didn't do anything to you, I…see…" He frowned to himself, eyebrows coming together. "They were his, weren't they?"

Lavi's smile slid slightly, but he nodded. "Yes. But they're not going back to him. The ones that you didn't kill were killed after, so that they couldn't run away."

"By who? You couldn't have—"

"Kanda," Lavi said quickly. "You're right. At the moment, I don't think I can kill someone when they aren't…attacking me. But he showed up after you were out…I don't know how he knew to come."

"He said he had a feeling," Lenalee said as Allen stood carefully and sat back down on the bed.

Allen made a hmm sound. "Did anything…exciting, besides the attack, happen while I was out?" he asked them.

"I don't think Road's power effects me," Lavi said.

"Really?" Allen asked, surprised. Lavi nodded. Allen thought a moment, then said suddenly. "It feels like I haven't eaten in a week…can I get something to eat?"

Both Lenalee and Lavi laughed. "Close to a week. You were out for five days," Lenalee told him as Lavi left to get some food.

"Five days?!" he said, shocked.

"And we didn't…didn't know if you would recover or not," she said, looking at him with wide eyes. "We didn't know if you would wake up."

"I thought I was dead," Allen said softly. "I thought he killed me."

"But you weren't! And we were able to save you! A couple times, your vitals went down, Bookman said, but they always went up to normal again. But I had heard him saying to Komui once that he thought that you might not wake up," she said and her bottom lip quivered.

_That was probably when I was asleep in my dreams_, thought Allen.

_Yes. When you went to sleep, you went into a deeper sleep, but it helped you heal,_ the Mother Shadow murmured back to him. He jumped slightly. It was the first time she had said something since he woke up.

"And…I d-don't know what I would've done if…if…you would've…died," Lenalee choked out quietly, her head bowed. Allen looked at her, startled. Her body shook with silent sobs, and he could just see tears running down her cheeks.

"Lenalee…" he murmured, moving closer to her on the bed. She wiped her eyes.

"You must think I'm being silly," she said, looking up at him. There were tears still in her eyes. "Crying because of what _could've_ happened instead of being happy for what _did_ happen."

"No," Allen said softly, and pulled her to him, hugging her. "Its ok."

Lenalee seemed slightly surprised by the gesture, but hugged him back, tears again rolling down her cheeks and landing on Allen's bare shoulder. Allen held her while she cried, eyes closed. But he was thinking. He was running through all of the things that he had learned, and remembered that _she_ was the one who had made it possible for him to return. He had had to see her, even when he didn't know who it was.

Finally she drew away, wiping her eyes again. "T-thank you Allen," she hiccuped. "I feel better now."

Allen smiled, then looked around as Lavi entered, bringing food, Bookman, Komui and for some reason, Kanda.

"You're awake," Bookman said, smiling as Lavi set the food down in front of Allen, who started eating so fast that he almost choked before going a little slower. He nodded to Bookman's question and continued to eat.

"You must've been hungry in your sleep," Komui said, laughing slightly.

Allen swallowed the food that was in his mouth. "I don't remember being hungry…but I definitely feel better with food. Last night, when I woke up, I didn't have enough time to think about that. Now that I think about it…was anyone hurt last night?" he asked as he took another bite of food.

"If you hadn't been there, I think all of us would be dead right now," Lavi said.

Allen's hand, with the food, went down slowly. "Someone got hurt, didn't they?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

"Y-yes," Lenalee said. "Fo was shot."

"Fo was shot?! Is she ok?" Allen asked. He figured that he had come after that had happened, because he had no recollection of it happening.

"She's at the hospital, but she should be ok," Komui said. "They said it was a clean shot. It missed all the important things."

Allen nodded, starting to eat. At least she hadn't died.

Bookman came over to him when he had finished eating and started checking him over, seeing if he was fully recovered. The other's watched as he did.

"Thanks, Kanda, for finishing those guys," Allen said as he was being checked over.

Kanda snorted. "Being sloppy again. If you had ever done that in a job, where you left people alive, you would've been sacked for sure."

"Or killed," Allen said. "But…I don't understand how I'm _not_ dead."

"We don't quite either," Komui said, watching Bookman as he unwrapped Allen's left arm. "We haven't quite…figured…Your…arm changed."

Allen looked around and at his arm. "Whoa," he murmured, looking at it. It was still red, but it was smoother, and it joined his shoulder smoothly, twisting into a design.

_You're magyk changed it,_ the Mother Shadow told him silently.

_But I thought that Tyki took it and absorbed it?_ he asked her.

_He took some of it, and he thought he got all of it, but he didn't. I didn't let him. You have a lot of magyk, Allen Walker. He didn't know how much you had. He thought you had a little more than average,_ she explained.

_But wouldn't he have figured out how much I had when he was taking it?_

_No. Didn't I say before? I didn't let him see all of it. I could only cover a small bit though. But it was enough to keep you alive. And now it has grown…it has grown very strong,_ she said. _Stronger than it was before._

Allen frowned, rubbing his other hand over his left arm.

"What did you just do?" Lavi asked, watching him.

"What?"

"Your…magyk," he said. "It just went up. Its normal now."

"I forgot you could do that," Allen murmured. "I was…thinking."

"It was really strong," the redhead said. "It looks like you became even stronger while you were sleeping." He was grinning widely, making Allen grin as well.

"Yeah, maybe," he said, thinking silently to the shadow how it could've grown.

She didn't know. But she would think about it.

-ooo-

"Our men, they—"

"They haven't returned. Even though it has been many hours since I have sent them out," Tyki said, turning towards the man who was giving the report.

"Yes sir," he responded, looking slightly nervous.

"So the Lee's have a guardian or they have extremely good luck," Tyki continued, leaning back in his chair and lighting a cigarette. He breathed in, then pulled it away from his lips and breathed out, creating a cloud of smoke. He settled his hand on his desk.

"How could they've stopped them?" his sister asked, twirling in her chair then stopping and looking at the man before them. "I mean, I thought they were _good_ assassins."

"Th-they were!" the man said. "I mean…we don't know if they're dead yet. They could still be alive or—"

"I think we can assume that they are indeed dead," Tyki said, cutting the man off and drawing from his cigarette again. "Because they would've returned by now."

"Yes, boss," the man said, falling silent.

"So…" Tyki began. "I think that they must have someone protecting them. Or some sort of protection at least."

"What kind?" Road asked.

"Who knows…Allen Walker is out of that list though," he said, resting his chin on the palm of his hand in a bored motion. He pulled something from his pocket and dangled it with his other hand. "He's dead, correct?"

Road nodded, watching her brother twist the object slowly. "That redhead, Lavi, told me so."

"But he could've been lying," Tyki said in a flat tone. "You said you couldn't read that guy."

"Why would he be lying?" Road asked, confused. "He _looked_ pretty convincing."

"I don't know. I don't understand the thought process of the 'good' as they call themselves."

Road twisted around. "Well, whatever. Who else could've kill those assassins?" she asked her brother.

The man before them was completely forgotten, and he stood by the door nervously, unsure if he was allowed to leave or not. He decided to wait for a little, just in case.

"The redhead? Miss Lenalee Lee herself?" Tyki suggested, more to himself than anyone.

"How could _they_ kill five assassins?" the young girl asked.

Tyki shrugged, blowing another cloud of smoke into the room and watching it curl and twist into shapes. He smirked slightly as something stirred it and it twisted into the shape of a monster.

"Who else then? One of your assassins?" Road continued, not paying attention to the smoke monster. "Kanda maybe?"

Tyki looked at his sister, abandoning the thing in the smoke, continuing to spin the watch. "Kanda? You think that he had abandoned us as well?"

"What, you don't trust me?"

Tyki and Road looked around. The man that was standing by the door was now on the floor, unconscious. They hadn't even heard the door open or the man slide to the ground.

Kanda stood beside the closed door, brushing his hands together.

"You should get a better doorman, by the way," he commented, coming into the room more fully. "He wasn't very good."

"He wasn't really my doorman," Tyki said. "I would appreciate you not knocking out my men though."

"Sorry," he said, smirking. "He was in the way."

Tyki sighed and placed his hand down onto the desk, covering the gold pocket watch. "What a…pleasant surprise. With what do I honor this visit?"

"I thought that I should check in, since it's been a while," the longhaired young man said, leaning against the wall. "So, any new things? News, information, jobs?"

"So eager," Tyki commented, glancing at his sister as he held the cigarette in his teeth. She seemed to get the message and so he looked back at the assassin. "I don't think we have a job for you at the moment but…"

Tyki broke off, watched him carefully. He seemed to be concentrating on something. "Mr. Kanda?"

"Hmm?" he grunted, looking at the gang leader. "Oh, I'm sorry, were you saying something? I couldn't concentrate…but would you be so kind as to get out my of head?" He looked straight at Road, eyes hard.

Road's eyes widened in surprise and she looked at her brother.

"Thank you," Kanda said. "Now, what were you saying?"

"I was saying that I don't have any…jobs for you at the moment," Tyki said, watching him. He seemed to be able to sense Road's reading. "But…maybe…"

"You have something?"

"It's not really an assassin's job. But it's a job and it would require some skills," he said, running a finger along the engraved gold of the watch. Kanda eyed it carefully, then looked up.

"What is it?"

"Spy work, really," Tyki said.

Kanda snorted. "Spy work?"

"Are you not going to accept?" Tyki asked, raising an eyebrow at the assassin.

"When did I say that? I was just wondering. So, what do I have to do?" Kanda asked, pushing himself off the wall and walking over to the desk where Tyki sat. Road's eyes never left Kanda as he walked across the room towards her brother.

"So, you accept," Tyki said. "I want you to go and check in at the Lee Estate. I sent several assassins over there, to finish them off for good, but something…or someone…stopped them, or killed them. I want to know what's going on over there."

Kanda raised an eyebrow. "Is that all? Just a little peeking into the Lee Estate? To see if they have any big bad body guards?"

"That is about what I want, yes," he said. "Because we only have _you_ left, for professional assassins…the others just don't cut it."

The dark haired assassin smirked. "Ok, I'll get you information," he said, turning and leaving with out another word.

Tyki sighed when had left. "You can't read him, can you, Road?" he asked when the door closed, pulling his hand up and dangled the watch again.

"This wasn't like Lavi. He can block me," Road said, frowning angrily. "That's no fair!"

"Its fine, Road," he said, spinning the watch and watching the patterns it threw up onto the wall as the light reflected off the shining surface. "I'm just wondering if he really will give us information."

Road sighed noisily, settling back into her chair. "I wish Allen were still here. He was a good assassin."

"Yes," Tyki said, staring at the watch. "Sometimes I wish I didn't kill him…" He ran a finger across the name engraved in it.

"You've been obsessing over that watch," Road commented.

"Its interesting," he said. "A very nice watch…Mana Walker. His father, he said, didn't he? How tragic." He flipped open the watch, showing in the inside for a moment, then flipped it close once more and slipped it into his pocket and lighting another cigarette. The one he had had before had burned down due to his neglect.

-ooo-

"Did you dream?" Lenalee asked Allen as she settled into the study chair. "When you were asleep, I mean."

Allen looked at her, studying her for a moment before answering. "Yes, I did," he said simply.

Lenalee looked down, picking up the book that lay on the cushion. It was the one she had read when Allen was in bed. When she thought that maybe he wouldn't wake up. She ran a finger across the cover, thinking.

Her attention was drawn away from the book when the door opened and she looked around. Lavi entered quietly with a grin then closed the door.

"Thanks for not starting without me," he said, grinning and settling down on another chair. "I'm curious too."

"What?" Lenalee asked, looking from Lavi to Allen, then back to Lavi.

"I'm…going to tell you…about me, and some of my past," Allen said, smiling slightly. "And the dreams I had are also part of this. But Lavi asked me if I would wait for him, so I couldn't start."

Lenalee looked at Lavi, who shrugged and grinned, then turned back to Allen.

"You…know something about me, I believe," he started.

"About your father and—" Lenalee started saying, but he cut her off.

"No…not that," he said. "I mean…its something different. I think Lavi saw it when I was…when Tyki was going to kill me."

Lavi frowned, thinking back. It wasn't a very lovely memory, but he tried to think back. When Allen's magyk had been fluctuating, something had happened. "Yeah…I remember now. It was…like your form flickered for a moment, or I could see something."

Allen nodded.

"Lenalee, can I see that book?" he asked. She handed the small book with the silver curving title of _Shadow Files_ to Lavi silently. He took it and flipped through it until he stopped at the two-page spread ink drawing. "It looked like this."

Lenalee watched, slightly confused. She had seen that in her dream! How could Lavi had seen it too? Lavi handed the book to Allen so that he could see.

"Yes, that's about right," Allen said, then chuckled lightly. "They don't have it _quite_ right."

_Its basically me,_ the Mother Shadow commented.

"I know," Allen murmured quietly. "Even though there are several things off about it."

"Who are you talking to?" Lavi asked, watching him. "And your magyk upped again."

"I know," Allen said, smiling. He handed the book to Lenalee. "I think you may have seen this as well."

"Y-yes, but it was in a dream," she said, taking the book. "How would you have known that I had seen it?"

"Because at that time, I was in that dream world as well…of some sorts. That was when Road was fiddling with my mind. So I saw you several times…But that's not important. What is, is that you both saw it," he said.

"What is it?" Lenalee asked. "And why, in my dream, did _you_ flicker to it?"

"Because…it's…part of me," he said softly, looking at both of them in turn.

_That was quite sudden_, She said to him, her tone scolding. _They might not believe you._

"The shadow…is that why your magyk keeps going up?" Lavi asked. "Like a moment ago?"

"How can it be a part of you?" Lenalee asked.

"You have to understand that I had this…this knack, I guess, for attracting…shadows, when I was younger. It wasn't good. I almost was killed several times because of the 'cold-bringers'," he started.

"Cold-bringers?" both Lavi and Lenalee asked.

"Angry…shadow spirit things," he said. "I don't really know how to explain them. They're kind of like ghosts. But they always seemed to follow me. And then the Mother Shadow came."

He motioned to the book. "That is the Mother Shadow. And she kept me from dying, and helped me when I was asleep, and that's who I was talking to a moment ago."

"Oh," Lavi said. "That…actually makes sense. What happened when Road screamed and fell backwards when she had been…fiddling, to use your word, with your mind? Was that the Mother Shadow?"

"Yes. She…she helped me get my mind back together and attacked Road—in that nightmare world—when she was there with me," Allen explained. "And that's probably why you saw a shadow of her when Tyki was taking the magyk, because she was there."

"But…he didn't take all of your magyk," Lenalee said.

"No, he didn't. The Mother Shadow told me that she was able to hide a little bit, which saved me. And then, while I was asleep, I had to heal it…that's probably why I was out for so long, and why…why I didn't remember anything when I first woke in the dream," he said, his silver eyes dark. And then they darkened even more and the two watching him glanced at each other.

He had just remembered the most important thing. He couldn't believe that he had forgotten about that!

_You had other things on your mind,_ the Shadow explained. _I covered it for a little, so that you wouldn't have to worry about it. But I think its time to tell…_

"Yes," he said. "It is."

"Yes what?" Lenalee asked.

Allen was silent for a moment, then looked straight at her, expression dark. "I know who killed your parents, Lenalee."

* * *

A/N: Thank you for reading! Please review! and I know that Allen's arm, after its evolved is black...but I don't care. xD Please review! _Disclaimer -- I don't own D.Gray-Man._


	23. Any Last Words

A/N: Thank you very much for all of the reviews that everyone has given me so far! I'm so glad that you like it so much. But I am sorry to say that this is the last full chapter there shall be. One more little thing, the epilogue and then this story is over. But please read and review! I love you all, my readers! So I give you an extra long chapter.

Chapter 23: Any Last Words

* * *

"I know who killed your parents."

Lenalee's eyes widened in shock and she just stared at Allen for a moment, mouthing wordlessly. But it was Lavi who broke the silence.

"You know who killed her parents, Allen? How would you know that?" the redhead asked. He was curious, but he had a feeling that it had something to do with the Mother Shadow.

"It was shone to me," Allen said, almost too quite to be heard. "Your memory…or nightmare, I should say. I saw it."

"What do you mean?" Lenalee asked. "How could you have seen that memory?"

"The Mother Shadow," said Allen.

"I knew it!" Lavi said loudly, grinning. Allen and Lenalee both looked at him and Lenalee raised an eyebrow. He closed his mouth, but he was still grinning. "Sorry, continue."

"Like I was saying," Allen said.

"Can you just say it?" Lenalee blurted out. She was fidgeting nervously where she sat. She had been wondering who had killed her parents ever since it had happened, or after she had come out of shock at least. And he knew.

"He did," Allen said simply.

"He?" Lavi murmured, slightly confused.

Lenalee's eyes widened. "B-but…You can't mean…"

Allen nodded slowly.

-ooo-

Kanda made it back to the Lee Estate, thinking. _Damn girl_, he thought to himself. _She's strong. Almost lost it._

He had been on the edge of losing to Road. But it helped when he spoke, so he was saved. If Road had broken into his mind, she would've seen that Allen was alive, and that he worked with Lenalee and the redhead.

He shook it off, heading silently up the path. He didn't bother to knock as he opened the door and strode in, startling the doorman. But he relaxed a moment later as he saw it was Kanda.

The dark haired young man walked through the house, listening for the sound of voices. He was passing a study when he heard them and slipped inside, to find Allen, Lenalee and Lavi.

He stood beside the door for a moment. None of the three noticed him, but then he caught Allen's eyes slide to him, and knew that he must've heard the door open.

But he continued talking, something about 'Cold-bringers' and the 'Mother Shadow'.

Kanda rolled his eyes and walked up to the three. "Having fun with story time?" he questioned, leaning against a chair.

Lavi and Lenalee looked at him, startled. "Kanda! When'd you get in here?" the girl asked him, staring at him.

Allen gave a small laugh. "He's been standing there for several minutes," he said. Kanda nodded, glancing at Allen. He looked better. He wasn't so pale. He healed fast.

Lenalee glanced at Lavi, who just shrugged, then looked back at the two assassins. "Do you have something to tell us?" she asked Kanda.

Kanda nodded again.

"Well, don't keep us waiting!" Lavi said. "Tell us!"

Kanda snorted. "Mr. Mikk has given me a job," he informed them. He watched them with interest as Lenalee stiffened. Lavi's expression had turned darker. Allen seemed unperturbed by the news.

"You're all he's got, besides those guys who call themselves assassins," Allen said. "Since they think I'm dead. So, what is it?"

Kanda shifted his eyes from Lenalee, who seemed pale, back to Allen. "Not really assassin work. He wishes for me to spy on you." He motioned to Lenalee.

"Spy work?" Allen said then snorted. "He must be getting desperate."

"Why do you say that?" Lavi asked, glancing at Lenalee as she tried to regain herself.

Allen looked at him flatly. "You don't usually send a professional assassin to do spy work. You hire someone else for that. It means that he needs information now and he doesn't want to wait. He trusts you, I expect," he said, looking at Kanda, who had taken a seat.

"I don't know. When I entered, they were discussing how no one died here when the assassins came and I was in the list. Yes, they think that you're still dead," Kanda said.

"Good," Allen said.

Kanda eyed him carefully. "Don't do anything stupid, Moyashi," he muttered. Allen gave him an odd look, one between annoyance and defiance.

"I'm not stupid," he responded. "I know what would get me killed."

"Sometimes I don't think you do," Kanda muttered to himself.

Allen rolled his silver eyes, glancing at the other two. They were watching the assassins carefully. He had a feeling that they might've confused them, but he wasn't about to explain. Not until he figured it out himself.

-ooo-

The next day Komui told Lenalee that Fo would make a full recovery, but had to stay in the hospital for the time being.

"That's great!" Lenalee said, smiling widely. Komui smiled and nodded, knowing that she would've felt responsible it Fo wouldn't recover. But she was strong and Komui knew that. And she wouldn't have been happy if she had been crippled.

Komui watched Lenalee walk down the hall towards the kitchen. She was so much happier now that Allen was awake and well. Lavi seemed happy as well. Kanda was hanging around more often, but he had said that Tyki told him to 'spy on the Lee Estate' and it wouldn't be odd if he was hanging around.

The man smiled to himself as Lenalee disappeared, then walked through the house and to the door leading into the back court yard. He thought that the two assassins had been out there.

He opened the door and slipped out, looking around.

Allen was standing across the courtyard, beside the wall, eyes narrowed. Kanda was across from him, watching him carefully.

Curious, Komui sat down to watch what they were doing. They didn't even look around, even though he knew that they had seen him. For a moment they stood frozen, and then they were suddenly close together.

"They're very fast," his sisters voice said and he looked around. She came over to him and sat beside him on the bench to watch the two assassins, now locked in combat.

"They are," Komui agreed, watching as Kanda ducked down to avoid Allen's foot. As he did so, he grabbed a branch that had broken from a near by tree and as he stood, he swung it hard towards the other.

Allen stepped back, moving his left arm up to block the blow.

"You're stupid if you think you can—" Kanda stopped, his smirk sliding off his face.

Allen raised an eyebrow. "Stupid?" he asked and it was his turn to smirk. He twisted his arm, grabbing the branch and pulling it from Kanda's grip. It unbalanced the dark haired assassin and he stumbled forward.

The silver haired young man took the opportunity to kick Kanda's feet out from under him and he fell onto the ground.

"How…did you do that?" Kanda panted, looking up at Allen. "If anyone else would've blocked it, it would've broken their arm."

Allen pushed his sleeve up. "Didn't even hurt," he said, showing Kanda his arm.

Kanda rolled his eyes and pulled himself off the ground. "That might be helpful though," he said. "If you're planning on going against him."

"What?!" Lenalee said, startled.

The assassins turned to look at her.

"What?" Allen asked. "What's wrong?"

"Not paying attention," Kanda growled, and kicked Allen hard in the stomach. Allen staggered backwards, almost falling but turning it into a back flip and landed on his feet.

"I'm trying to talk," Allen said, annoyed, brushing himself off. "What's wrong, Lenalee?"

"You're planning on going against him?" She said, startled.

Allen blinked, then nodded. "But not right now. I'm not quite ready. But yes. I'm going to take him out, once and for all," he said darkly.

Kanda glanced away for a moment. He believed that Allen was stronger, but Tyki was too…he still had taken some of Allen's magyk, even if he didn't take it all. And it was Tyki Mikk, lord of Mancal Willings and leader of the organized crime. How would he beat that?

And then there was Road, the girl who could read thoughts and cause pain by just thinking.

The silence was broken when the door opened once more and Lavi came out. "What're you all doing?" he asked, glancing around.

Allen smiled at him. "Practicing," he said. He was about to say more but he before he did, he slipped to the side. For a moment everyone looked at him in confusion.

But a moment later, Kanda threw something across the courtyard. It would've hit Allen if he hadn't moved. But Allen wasn't his target.

Lavi raised his hand just in time and caught the branch. "What?" he asked.

"Practice with us," Kanda ordered.

Allen narrowed his eyes. "You've been training him, I see," he murmured. Kanda nodded shortly.

Lavi nodded as well then walked farther into the courtyard, holding the branch at his side. It had been the one that Allen had dropped.

"Don't go too hard!" Lenalee said, biting her lip. She didn't want Allen to go after Tyki. She didn't want him to die. But she didn't want Lavi to get hurt in just a practice.

"I'll be fine," Lavi said, grinning.

"You sure about that?" Kanda growled.

Lavi turned and raised the branch just in time to stop the assassin from hitting him. "Whoa," he muttered, holding onto his weapon tightly as Kanda drew back once more.

"Behind you," Allen said.

Lavi turned swiftly, attacking. But there was no one to attack. He blinked, slightly confused. And then his feet were knocked out from under him and he landed hard on his back.

"What…was that?" he coughed, looking up. Allen chuckled.

"Not fast enough," he murmured as Lavi pulled himself up off the ground.

"Wow," Lenalee murmured. One moment Allen had been behind Lavi. But then when Lavi turned, Allen disappeared. But then she remembered a flash of silver. No, he hadn't disappeared, he had crouched down. And Lavi hadn't looked down.

"Damn," Lavi muttered. "Fast."

Allen grinned. "But you're definitely getting better."

"I'm more used to him," Lavi said, motioning to Kanda. "You're attacks are different."

-ooo-

"I need information," Tyki said, slightly strained. He rubbed his temple with his finger and thumb.

"Shouldn't Kanda be bringing some to you?" Road asked, watching her brother carefully. He had been pacing for the past half-hour, until he'd gotten tired of walking and sat down.

He pulled the watch out. "I can tell something's up, but I can't tell what," he said, staring at the gold object.

Road stayed silent, letting her brother think. He seemed worried or nervous or something. She sighed, popping a gum bubble. Tyki continued to stare at the watch, ignoring the sound.

"Something's not right," he murmured. "I feel like I should go to the warehouse."

Road looked at him, curious. "The warehouse? Why there? There's nothing there…" she said, watching Tyki as he stood once more, watch still in hand.

"I have a feeling that I should go there," he said, getting his jacket.

"I'm coming with you then," Road said, hopping from her chair. "And we should bring some of your guys too…just in case."

Tyki sighed and nodded. "Fine."

-ooo-

"Are you sure you're ready?" Lenalee asked nervously. "I mean…are you healed enough?"

Allen nodded, pulling on his jacket. "Yes, I'm fine. I'm better than fine. The Mother Shadow is urging me to go, too. I can't say no to her. And I…I need to go, for you."

Lenalee stared at him, eyes widening. "T-then…I'm coming with you!" she declared, clenching her fists together.

Allen's eyes widened in shock. "What?! No! You can't!" he said quickly. "What if—"

"What if _you_ get hurt? I want to be there…I want to help you, Allen! And I can fight…ask Lavi, he knows," she told him, looking into his eyes defiantly. "You're not leaving me here this time."

"Lenalee—"

"No! You're not going to stop me! I want to help, and not just sit here waiting like a worried old woman!" she said, cutting him off.

"No, Lenalee—"

"You're not going to convince me otherwise," she said, cutting him off again. "I can handle myself and I want to fight."

"What if you're killed?!" he said quickly so that she couldn't cut him off again, grabbing her shoulders. "I-I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I got you killed!"

Lenalee stared at him for a moment. "Allen…" she said slowly. "I…I promise to be careful. But I don't think I would be able to just sit at home while you were out there, fighting for your life."

Allen let go of her shoulders, looking out of the window. "I'm just…not used to having something close to me…" he murmured softly.

The girl's eyes widened, then pulled his face around to look closely at him. "Its ok to have people close to you, Allen," she said. "Let me come with you…please…"

Allen took a deep breath. "Ok…"

"If she's going, I'm definitely coming," a voice behind them said and they both turned to see Lavi grinning, leaning against the doorframe. "And I would close the door next time."

The two stepped apart quickly. "Nothing happened," Allen said. "And you too?"

"Why not? I can fight!" Lavi said. "You're not keeping be away."

"But…"

"Just let them come." Kanda had entered, hair pulled back once more. Earlier, when they had been practicing, it had fallen from its ponytail, but he'd fixed it. He looked ready to leave that moment.

Allen looked at him. "Are you going to go now?" he asked.

"Yes. I know where he'll be," the dark haired young man said. "I'm leaving now. I'll be with him…but I'm still on your side."

"Ok," Allen said.

"So don't hesitate to hit me," he growled at Lavi. "If you pause, Tyki'll figure it out. He's smart."

Lavi stared at him, then grinned widely. "Sure thing!" he said. Kanda rolled his eyes and pushed past him and, leaving the room.

It was silent for a moment after the assassin left, where Lavi and Lenalee looked at Allen. But Allen was deep in thought. "I need weapons," he murmured to himself.

"I have some of your weapons," Lavi told him.

Allen looked up, curious. "How'd you do that?" he asked.

"When you were out. I went back to where Tyki and them got us. They were still there. Also have some of the weapons from those guys who attacked us," Lavi explained.

"Why didn't you tell me this before?" Allen asked.

Lavi shrugged. "Come on, I'll show you," he said, and led the way down the hall to one of the rooms. Allen and Lenalee followed quickly. She knew about them, but she didn't like going into the room. It gave her weird feelings.

As soon as Lavi opened the door, Allen rushed past him. His eyes traveled around quickly. He seemed to be searching for something. And when he found it, he walked to it quickly.

It was his knife, still in its sheath. Smiling slightly, he picked it up, checked it then strapped it around his waist. Then he looked at the table where a number of guns lay. He moved over to them, eyeing them carefully. He touched several, just looked at others, then picked up the last one.

"This isn't mine," he murmured. He extended his arm, pointing it out of the window and firing.

Lavi jumped, looking around. "What was that for?" he asked.

"This is a nice gun," Allen murmured, grinning and looking out of the window.

"You…hit it!" Lenalee said, surprised. "Where you aiming for that branch?"

Allen nodded as he slipped the gun into a holster at his hip. "I'm keeping this one," he said then went back to looking at the others. Soon he had taken several more guns and slipped them into holsters.

"How many more do you need? You only have to two hands," Lavi said, staring at him.

"If I run out of bullets or if I drop one or if someone takes one, I'll have another," Allen said, not looking at him. "Here."

He threw a gun at Lavi, and then one at Lenalee.

They both caught them and glanced at each other. "Those are easy shots," he told them. "If you're coming with me, you have to be armed."

Lenalee nodded, face set. "I'll be back," she said and left the room. Lavi looked at the gun Allen had given him carefully.

"Just hold it and shoot, but I'd suggest going outside," Allen said, letting his jacket fall over all of the weapons. He slipped the dagger from its sheath as he headed to the door and looked at it.

"Come on," Allen said. "Let's go outside so that you can practice a little."

Outside, Allen instructed Lavi on how to hold it and then pointed at a tree in the courtyard, telling him to hit it.

Lavi frowned. It couldn't be that hard. He held the gun steady and fired it. He gave a startled yelp. "Whoa!" When the gun had fired, it had sent a shock wave up his arm, and the bullet had missed his target.

Allen chuckled behind him. "Try again. This time, let your arm move when you shoot," he said.

Lavi nodded and did so. He found that it didn't feel so odd and he hit his target. He grinned widely, turning to the silver haired assassin. "That was better," he told Allen.

Allen grinned, sliding the blade of his dagger between his fingers for a moment in thought. Then he stood and walked over to Lavi. "Try and hit that—" he pointed at the farthest tree in the courtyard "—in the knot at the center. I'm going to throw this and see if I can hit it."

Lavi raised his eyebrow. "You think you can throw that far?" he asked, raising the gun again.

"I think I can," the assassin replied. "You first."

The redhead looked at the tree and fired. He missed the knot by a foot, but hit the tree.

"Missed," Allen said.

"I hit the tree though," Lavi said.

Allen just grinned and threw the dagger. It sunk into the knot. Lavi stared, mouth falling open.

"Are we leaving or not?"

Both boys looked around to see Lenalee standing in front of them, looking very much like she was ready for battle. The gun was around her waist, and the look in her eyes showed that no one could tell her that she wasn't going.

"Yes," Allen said, his expression turning stony. "We're going."

-ooo-

"Mr. Kanda, fancy seeing you here at such a late hour," Tyki said as the assassin appeared through the door of the warehouse, letting in a flash of thunder. "On a dark and stormy night, at that."

"Felt like I should be here," he said, walking over to the gang leader and noting the number of armed men who were with him.

"What a strange coincidence," Tyki said. "So did I."

"I see you brought men," Kanda said.

"Why wouldn't I? I felt something was wrong and I wouldn't come here unprotected," Tyki said, leaning against one of the metal shelving that held the large and heavy crates of who-knows-what.

The assassin fell silent, watching.

"Someone's coming," a voice said from above and Kanda looked up, to see Road perched on top of the high shelves, a smile plastered onto her face. "Someone fun!"

Tyki looked up. "Who?"

Road paused, eyes narrowed in concentration. And then she gave a loud gasp, her eyes flying wide and she jumped down gracefully from each level to the ground. "Tyki! That's impossible!"

Kanda watched them carefully. Could she sense Allen?

"Its…its…" Road was staring at the door with wide eyes. She looked slightly scared.

"Who is it?!" Tyki asked impatiently, tapping his fingers on his arms.

"Its _him_!" Road said, staring at her brother. "How could it be _him_?"

"Kanda! I thought he was dead!" Tyki snapped, looking at the assassin. "Is he with the Lee girl?"

"I never was able to give you information, if you do recall," Kanda said lazily. "You just gave me the job."

Tyki glared at him then turned back to Road, who was fidgeting where she stood. "How long until he gets here?" he asked her.

"I don't know. It's hard to tell…The Shadow's blocking me!" she said. "That's why I couldn't tell!"

"Damn," Tyki muttered. "I can't see how he's still alive though…"

"Stronger than you thought, am I?"

Tyki whipped around, raising his gun at the same time. Without pausing he fired, as did several of his men. But the bullets just sunk into metal instead of flesh, making hard metallic sounds as they did so.

"Do you think I would've seriously walked straight in? I knew you were going to shoot," Allen said, walking out from behind one of the large crates. He knew they'd shoot, and so made Lavi and Lenalee go in first and go straight over to the crates. No one had noticed them.

Tyki didn't shoot this time, just watched Allen. "You were dead," he murmured.

Allen shrugged. "Maybe I'm a ghost," he said.

Tyki snorted, loading his gun again and pointed it at Allen. "I doubt that you could survive a direct shot though."

"Who says I would get shot?" Allen asked, walking out farther. He didn't glance at Kanda, or Road, who had jumped back up to the safety of the crates and now was surveying the whole thing.

"Let's just see, shall we?" Tyki suggested, firing his gun again.

And with that, fighting exploded. Lavi had appeared from behind the crate and shot at one of Tyki's men. His eye widened when he actually hit where he was aiming, the man's shoulder.

"Where'd they go?" he murmured to Lenalee, then ducked as someone fired their gun. It left a hole in the crate. He looked around and saw the men coming forward.

"There's more!" someone shouted to Tyki, but Tyki and Allen had both disappeared.

Everything was happening so fast. Lenalee slipped away behind some of the crates, her face set. Lavi moved towards the men, slamming the butt of his gun into one of them as they neared, then ducked down once more as more guns fired.

There was a cackling from above and Lavi glanced up. Road was sitting at the very top of the crates, some twenty feet up. She seemed to be watching something a little ways away and Lavi turned, following her gaze.

At first he couldn't see anything. It was dark in the warehouse, and the only light was the lightning that flashed ever so often. And then he spotted a flicker of movement during one of those flashes.

And then gun shots. And yells.

Tyki and Allen kept disappearing into the shadows of crates, or jumping onto one or jumping off onto the ground, fighting very close together. They seemed to only use their guns if they were far away, but other then that, they fought with their hands. And they were locked.

But Lavi had to pull his attention back to the other men as a bullet whizzed overhead, just barely missing his ear.

"Damn!" he yelled, startled and moved sideways, firing the gun in his hands. He hit his target square in the shoulder and the man fell with a yell. He turned and ran away from the men.

They seemed to be multiplying. He'd shot two or something but there were at least twenty or something. They ran after him. He wondered where Lenalee had gotten to, but had to focus on where he was going as he dodged around a tall crate.

And had to fall swiftly to the ground as he did so. A gun fired overhead, but it wasn't aimed at him.

Several of Tyki's men let out strangled cries as the bullets hit them square in their chests. They fell as they were hit, but the wielder of the gun continued to fire.

Lavi looked up to see Kanda. The redhead scrambled to his feet, away from Kanda's line of fire.

"What're you doing?" Kanda hissed to Lavi. "You're just wounding them! You have to kill them! They can still fight!"

"Bastard!" one of the men yelled. "You work for the Boss! You traitor!"

"You're boss ain't here, is he?" Kanda said. "He's occupied with the Walker boy. And if I had to bet who would win, I wouldn't bet on your boss!"

The man yelled in anger and fired his gun. It missed Kanda by an inch. But a bullet from the longhaired man's gun quickly silenced him. But more took the man's place, firing their own weapons.

"There're so many of them!" Lavi said, looking around. They had moved into a wide empty space between the shelves and crates, but the men surrounded them.

"Ah great," Lavi muttered, eye traveling around. They were surrounded. Completely.

A shrill shriek of laughter came from where Road was, still watching everything. "Traitor!" she called down, talking to Kanda. Kanda ignored her. "You were working for them all along!"

"Shoot! Kill them!" she called to the men. Since Tyki was fighting Allen, and both were unseen, they would follow Roads orders.

She cast her mind around, trying to reach one of them. But found herself staring at an iron wall when she tried to reach for Kanda. Lavi's was nothing at all…just nothingness. She still couldn't read him.

And then she switched to Lenalee, even though she could not see the girl. But all she could see there was silver…what was that? She gasped, cackling slightly. The Lee girl was in love with the assassin.

She searched for Allen, but was met with a roaring, fanged beast. She pulled back quickly before it could get her. The Mother Shadow was protecting his mind.

Below her, the men raised their guns, loading them.

And then one let out a startled yell, falling to the ground. The others looked around, as did Kanda and Lavi, to see Lenalee standing beside the fallen man. She had kicked him hard, knocking him out.

Kanda seized the distraction and drew another gun, firing it. More bullets flew through the air, hitting the men and the crates. Some fell to the guns; others did as Lenalee kicked them.

Lavi had moved back, planning on running with Lenalee, to a better space, where they had a better advantage. He looked around. "Come on Kanda!" he yelled, motioning to him.

Kanda turned, taking a step towards them.

And a single shot echoed through the warehouse, all other guns falling silent. For a moment everyone looked around. Who had been shot? Who had fired?

Silence.

Kanda blinked quickly, looking down. "W-what?" he murmured.

Lenalee's eyes widened in shock. Blood had started to trickle down from Kanda's mouth as he attempted to breathe, wavering slightly.

"Kanda!" she yelled.

She watched his legs give way, falling straight down onto the ground. And as he did so, it revealed who had shot him.

The gun was still pointed towards where Kanda had been standing, the man's arm outstretched. The smirk on his face was twisted evilly. "Now, no more of that," he said.

Road cackled loudly from where she sat, staring down at her brother as he lowered his gun.

"Oh, poor Lenalee," Road called down. "But I thought you loved Allen!"

"Where's Allen?!" Lavi yelled, ignoring Road, as several of Tyki's men grabbed him from behind.

They grabbed Lenalee as well, who had glanced at Road, but was back to staring at the fallen assassin.

"He's somewhere back there," Tyki said, motioning behind him. He looked at Lavi curiously. "How did you do it? Did you bring him back?"

"Of course not!" Lavi spat.

"Then what?"

"He did it himself! He's strong!" Lavi said.

"Allen…" Lenalee whispered, still staring at Kanda. He lay very still, blood pooling around him.

"He's not coming back from that," Tyki said.

"Don't be too sure."

Tyki looked around, eyes widening for a moment in surprise. "How did…"

"You just got my left arm," Allen said. The fabric was tattered, showing the red skin underneath. "Didn't do much."

Tyki glared at him, raising his gun. "How many times do I have to kill you to keep you dead?" he asked.

Allen smiled slightly just as he heard a small whisper. _There's someone behind you…_ the Mother Shadow said to him silently.

"Watch out!" Lenalee cried.

Allen whipped around, slamming the man into a large metal crate. He had been sneaking up behind him. And at that moment, Lavi and Lenalee broke from their captors.

They had been watching Tyki and Allen and hadn't been paying attention to the other two who they held. Lavi turned swiftly, shooting at them.

Lenalee had moved across the floor to where Kanda lay and knelt beside him. He'd been shot helping her…

More laughs came from Road as she watched.

Without thinking, Lenalee grabbed Kanda's fallen gun and pointed it at the girl. Then she pulled back on the trigger just as Lavi did as well. The two guns went off simultaneously, the bullets flying towards the girl.

Her laughter turned into a shriek as she was hit twice in the chest. She swayed violently then fell from the crates, plummeting hard and fast towards the ground.

Tyki looked around, eyes widening. "Road!" he yelled and ran for her, aiming to catch her as the girl fell.

Allen fired his gun at the remaining men and they all fell, one after the other. His eyes were like ice.

Tyki caught his sister, falling to his knees as he did so. "Road! Road!" he said, shaking her slightly. But the girl was already dead. He stared at her pale face, eyes closed, as blood seeped passed his fingers.

"Damn you," he said, turning after he had set her down. "Stupid Lee girl! I should've killed you when I killed your parents!"

Lenalee's eyes widened, her hands clenching at Kanda's jacket. She hadn't believed Allen when he told her…but why couldn't she?

"Why're you surprised?" Tyki asked, a manic gleam in his eyes. "You saw me!" He raised his gun.

"B-but…you weren't even…in this town…" she whispered, eyes wide.

"Yes I was," Tyki said, taking a step closer to her, gripping the gun tightly, and looking for all the world like a maniac.

A dangerous sounding click echoed in the space and Tyki stopped. "If you take one more step I'll kill you right now," Allen growled. "Drop the gun."

Lavi watched them carefully, silent. He glanced at Road then around at all of the men. The smell of blood was overpowering. It was making him feel dizzy. He moved over to Lenalee and collapsed, sitting beside her. She didn't take her eyes off Tyki.

The gun fell from Tyki's fingers, landing on the ground. He could feel the presence of the Shadow.

"Kill me," Tyki hissed. "If you can."

"I'm pretty sure I can," Allen said.

His finger tightened on the trigger of his gun, the barrel pressed against the Tyki's head.

He paused for a second. _Kill him, Allen_, the Mother Shadow told him. _He almost killed the one you love and countless others. Kill him._ There was no malice in her tone though. It was soft, comforting…he would follow it.

A solitary shot echoed through the now silent warehouse. Lavi closed his eye, flinching slightly. He had to look away.

Lenalee closed her eyes as well, unable to watch.

The redhead looked around after a moment, just in time to see Tyki collapse onto the ground, motionless. Allen stood still, staring at the man for a moment, eyes dark.

"A-Allen…" Lenalee murmured, looking up. She didn't look at Tyki. It made her feel sick. Her parent's killer…dead in front of her. Killed in front of her. Her eyes traveled back to Kanda.

Allen paused then knelt beside Tyki and searched his pockets.

"W-what're you doing?" Lavi asked, startled.

"Getting something back that is rightfully mine," he murmured, pulling the large gold watch from a pocket. He looked at it carefully, closing his red fingers around it tightly before slipping it into his pocket. Then he turned, looking at Kanda, eyes wide.

"Is he…alright?" he murmured, coming over to them and ignoring the carnage all around them.

Lenalee bit her lip, looking down and shaking her head. "N-no…" she whispered. "He's dead."

* * *

A/N: Thank you so much for reading. :3 Please review._ Disclaimer -- I don't own D.Gray-Man_


	24. Epilogue

**--Epilogue--**

The sun peaked out from behind heavy gray clouds, casting a weak, liquid gold light on the town of Mancal Willings. It threatened rain as the wind blew, tugging against the newly budded trees.

It always seemed to rain at Mancal Willings. But maybe that was just how the weather there was.

It was spring now, or earlier summer, the winter gone to the warmer, if not wetter, temperatures.

A solitary figure stood still, cloak billowing out to his side as the wind blew, his head bowed, eyes closed. When he opened them, they reflected the stormy skies above him.

Allen Walker let out a sigh, gazing at the grave he stood in front of. His hair whipped around his face as he read the words engraved once again.

"I'm sorry Kanda," the young man murmured, setting the single flower down next to the headstone. He straightened up once more, hands in pockets of his jacket, as the first drops of rain began to fall from the sky.

Sometimes it seemed like it rained because whoever lived in the sky was sad. Whoever that was. Allen didn't know.

He watched the small droplets of water run down the waxy pink petals of the lotus flower that he had set there. A water flower, fresh from a pond, resistant to the growing rain.

But he knew the petals wouldn't last forever, not without water. They would wither and fall from the stem. Just like everything else.

He sighed again, looking up at the sky. He closed his eyes as he felt raindrops fall onto his face, mingling with the silent tears.

It had been six months since that night in the warehouse, where Kanda had lost his life. Where Allen himself had killed Tyki. Where his sister has fallen as well in the hands of his friends.

The silver haired young man pulled his gloved hands from his pockets once more, holding them loosely to his side as he looked back at the grave stone.

A hand slipped into his gently and he looked around to see Lenalee. She smiled at him, leaning her head against his shoulder.

"I thought you'd be here," she murmured softly to him.

Allen nodded, glancing back at the grave. "I had a dream," he said, voice just above a whisper. "Just had to come back here. For a visit, you know?"

The young woman looked at him with those lovely violet eyes, reminding him so much of purple irises, the flowers he had gotten for her when he had placed the silver band on her finger.

"What sort of dream?" she asked him.

Allen looked at her. "Just…remembering what happened, that's all," he murmured, closing his eyes. Flashes of the dream came back to him.

_He was slipping farther into the shadows, hiding. Silver eyes darted side to side as he tried to find where the other had gone. And then a flash of lightning flickered through the warehouse windows, illuminated the shadows. It shone against his silver hair, giving away his position. _

_A bullet was fired, just missing his ear. He slipped out of his hiding place. He couldn't fight there, it was too close…_

_"I'm going to kill you, Walker," Tyki was saying, descending upon him from another level and hitting him hard in the arm as Allen raised it to fire his gun…_

"Allen?"

He opened his eyes, realizing that he had fallen silent. "O-oh, sorry," he said, smiling. "It's nothing. Really. You don't have to worry about me."

Lenalee looked at him then sighed sadly.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing. Come on…its raining. You're already wet. I don't want you to get a cold or anything," she said, smiling at him and turning, arm still hooked around his. He turned after glancing once again at the grave.

"Come on," she repeated, giving his arm a small tug. "He's…not going anywhere."

"I know," Allen said softly and turned, walking with her down the path through the other graves and headstones.

"Why'd you come out here?" he asked her as they walked home.

"I was wondering where you where," she told him, holding his hand, fingers entwined. "And Lavi has something to tell us both, apparently."

Allen raised an eyebrow. "What is it?" he asked, glancing at their hands.

She shrugged. "I don't know. He seemed excited though…I wonder what it's about," she murmured.

The silver haired young man glanced at her as they continued down the drive through the newly green trees. Leaves were growing on the oaks, catching the raindrops as they fell. A large droplet that had been collecting on one such leaf dropped, landing directly on top of Allen's silver head. He twitched as the cold water landed on him.

When they reached the estate, the door opened before them. Someone had been watching them come up the path.

"Welcome back," the doorman said, bowing to them both as they entered. Lenalee nodded to him as he closed the door once more behind them.

"Where's Lavi?" she asked him.

"He's in the second story study," he told her.

"Thank you."

Together they walked up the stairs, heading for the study where Lavi was waiting. When they reached it, Allen opened the door.

"Hey, you two lovebirds! Where've you been?" Lavi asked, grinning widely.

"The cemetery," Allen said bluntly as they came into the room.

Lavi stared at him, smile sliding slightly. But then he just shook it off, leaning back farther in the chair that was already lifting off its two front legs.

"You're going to fall backwards," Lenalee commented. "What'd you want to show us?"

"Geez…straight to the point…anyway!" Lavi said, letting the chair fall to the ground with a thud. He sat up straight. "I got it!"

Allen and Lenalee stared at him.

"I got the position," he continued, showing them a badge and patting the gun at his side.

"Chief Inspector?" Lenalee said, looking up at Lavi after looking at the badge. "And you got in how?"

"With my amazing gun knowledge and inspector qualities," Lavi said, taking the badge back after Allen had looked at it. "I'm now the head!"

Allen snorted then covered his mouth with a hand to cover his laughter. Lenalee and Lavi both looked at him.

"I-I'm sorry," he said, still laughing. "But…that's really funny…"

"Hey buddy," Lavi said, his expression turning into one of seriousness. "You're still on record and I'm the head. I could totally get you."

"And you expect to do that how?" Allen asked, still chuckling.

"Have you noticed that _I_ am armed and _you_ are not?" Lavi asked, reaching down. "I do know how to…" He looked down, jaw dropping, then looked up. When he did, he pressed back into the chair, eye widening.

"You were saying?" Allen asked, his dagger just touching Lavi's throat, a wide smile on his face. With his free hand, he spun Lavi's gun.

Lavi made a face. "Ok, fine," he said then grinned widely. "I'll let you off the hook. But you're not doing any more assassin work, are you?"

The silver haired young man stepped back, slipping his dagger back into its sheath and handing the gun back to its owner. "Not at the moment," he said. "I'm not doing anything. And there's no one in this town that actually has asked me…I think they're scared."

"Well, yeah," Lenalee said, smiling. "You killed the most powerful man in the city."

"There's not as much crime now," Lavi commented.

"That'll make _your_ job easier," Allen said, grinning. "I think that's good."

"Yes it will be eas—hey! You think I'm not a good inspector?" Lavi asked indignantly, getting what Allen had hinted.

"No, of course not…You'll be a fine inspector…can you hit that knot on the tree yet?" Allen asked slyly.

Lavi jumped up from the chair, causing it to crash to the floor.

"Lavi!" Lenalee said.

But he ignored her, rushing past her to reach Allen. She watched as they locked together, grappling. But they both had large smiles on their faces. Lenalee giggled, watching them as they play fought, Lavi getting Allen into a headlock.

Allen flailed, trying to pull out from it.

"Not so high and might now, eh?" Lavi asked triumphantly. Allen paused, grinning widely.

"You think so?" he murmured and flipped sideways, throwing Lavi away from him. "Face it, you'll never beat me."

The redhead pushed himself up from the floor, grinning. "Yeah, I don't think so," he said, laughing. Lenalee joined in soon after.

Allen just smiled, watching both of them. He was so glad that he'd been shot and crashed from that window. He was actually glad that had happened. He would've never met Lavi if he didn't. And he was actually slightly thankful for that time, a little less than seven months ago, when Tyki had first given him the job.

He had made friends, fought for them, lost one in battle…but he was glad. He would've never met them. Lenalee, who would soon be his wife…and Lavi, who was his best friend…and Kanda, who had fallen trying to kill that evil man.

_Some good came out of it,_ the Mother Shadow murmured to him. He nodded, smiling.

Yes, it did…

He could sense the creature smile her wide, fanged smile. Allen smiled. He could almost see her glowing. She had grown pure, because of him. Because of Lenalee and Lavi and Kanda.

"Hey Allen! Stop smiling and join us! We're going to see who's the best at cards!" Lavi's voice rang out and Allen looked around. He looked at the two, who had settled themselves down onto the floor, sitting around the coffee table. He grinned widely and went to join them.

The Mother Shadow watched the child go. He had grown so much…she chuckled to herself and stood behind him, nuzzling against him. He turned slightly, as if he felt her.

_I'm so proud of you,_ she murmured to him.

He glanced behind his shoulder, smiling slightly as Lavi began to deal. Then he turned back.

"I have to warn you," he told them. "I'm pretty good at this…"

"We'll see about that," both Lenalee and Lavi replied, grinning widely. Allen couldn't help smiling with them as they started the game. Lenalee slipped a hand into his free one as they did so and he squeezed it gently.

Yeah, he was glad that Tyki had hired him for that job. None of this would've happened.

* * *

A/N: Omg. Its over. That is the ending note to Assassin. And thank you all so much, my readers, who gave me support all the way through! I thank you very very very much! Thank you for the ideas, favorites, watches, and reviews! Thank you very much! I hope you liked it! I certainly enjoyed writing it. Thank you again! Please review on this short last epilogue!

_Disclaimer -- I don't own D.Gray-Man. Please don't steal this idea, I worked very hard on it. Thank you!_


End file.
